Grim Goodbye
by just a little wicked
Summary: What would happen if Victoria had the gift to turn back time? What damage could one vampire cause, simply by reversing time and bringing back an old friend? Will Bella survive the rage of these two lovers? The odds aren't good. [before New Moon]
1. Preface: End of Everything

**Title: **Grim Goodbye

**Rating: **T ;; for mild violence and some course language.

**Summary: **Time was my worst fear. Time was my greatest asset. Time was the only thing that could save me, and the one thing that would completely destroy me. She could manipulate time. And she was going to bring him back. Revenge is a bitch.

**Notes: **So here's my next story. I'm on spring break this week, so Heaven Help Us will be updated soon. The epilogue for Three Cheers will be posted soon, too.

This story takes place exactly where Twilight ends. I'm not sure, but the story might be entirely in third person. I'll have to see . . .

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**Preface: **

_In these times of doing what you're told  
Keep these feelings, no one knows  
What ever happened to the young man's heart  
Swallowed by pain, as he slowly fell apart_

The bronze haired boy burst through the doors of the empty warehouse. How much more cliché could you get? The hunter had taken her to this place, set up this trap. However, the boy didn't care. All he cared about was her, getting her home.

If, of course, she was even still alive.

There she was; his angel. Bella had never looked so frail. Her humanity, her clumsiness, it was nothing compared to how weak she looked that very moment. She was lying on the cold ground, her skin as white as a ghost's; as white as his. Edward' onyx eyes widened. He was unable to believe the sight before him.

His heart clenched, his unnecessary breath hitching in his chest. No! This wasn't supposed to happen! Not her, not Bella! Take anyone else! Take anyone but her!

"No!" Edward roared, dashing to her side. He fell to his knees beside her, hands shaking as he pulled her cold body to his chest. He tried putting his thoughts into words, but all that would come from his mouth was _'no, no, no'_.

There were no traces of her breath. He heard no heartbeat. She was dead. Bella was dead. His Bella, his only hope for any goodness in his existence, was gone. She was dead. She was dead. She was dead.

His body was shaking as he held her, unable to control his tearless sobs. He had been too late. The cries wracked his body, and he could feel her blood dampening his skin, seeping through his shirt. But he didn't care. He only wanted her back.

The blood was cold, not at all tempting to the beast inside of him. And even if it were, not even that monster could break through his heart ache and anguish. Nothing could force him to hurt him any further. Not as if he could anyway.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Isabella, I'm so sorry."

She didn't respond. Of course she didn't respond! She was dead! Edward just held her tighter, his bloody hands brushing through her mangled hair. He had loved her, and he had risked her life because of it. How could he have been so dense? If he really loved her, he would have stayed away.

He kissed her forehead, and laid her back down on the floor. He looked down at his hands and shirt. Blood stained his pale skin. Her blood. It could easily be washed off, but the blood would stain his clothing forever. She would always stain his heart, too.

"I will always love you, Bella." He said, tracing her jaw-line with his fingers for the last time. A sob escaped his lips again when he realized that it would indeed be the last time.

"Hello, Edward." A new voice said from the other side of the room. Edward rose, and looked the crimson eyed hunter in the eyes. He was going to die next. He knew it.

And he welcomed death with open arms.

_And I'm staring down the barrel of a 45,  
I'm swimming through the ashes of another life  
There's no real reason to accept the way things have changed  
Staring down the barrel of a 45_


	2. Chapter 1: Deja Vu

yep. this whole story will be in third person.

* * *

Bella touched her love's face. "Look," she said. "I love you more then anything else in the world combined. Isn't that enough?"

"Yes, it is enough," He said smiling, "Enough for forever."

And he leaned down to press his cold lips once more to her throat.

"Hey Bella, Edward," a perky voice called from the other side of the courtyard. Bella cringed, and Edward chuckled quietly as he lifted his lips from her flesh.

"Yes Alice?" His musical voice chimed.

The black haired pixie skipped happily towards the couple. Bella glanced around the tinkerbell like creature to see her husband waiting a distance away.

"Come on guys," Alice said, "They're beginning the last dance in a few minutes. You can't very well miss that! Let's go!"

Bella huffed. Dancing wasn't at all her favorite pass-time. The human girl could barely walk without falling. Adding spinning to the mix was deadly. Then again, she wasn't going to object to something that required being in Edward's arms for a little while longer.

"I won't let you fall," her bronze haired vampire vowed as he helped her stand, and lifted her into his iron arms. Bella sighed. Sometimes she wondered if he could really read her mind after all. Or maybe the fear was just written on her face.

Ignoring the stares of their fellow classmates, the three vampires and their human walked through the doors of the gym, Bella still cradled to Edward's chest. The male put her down on the dance floor, only to lift her again to stand on his own feet.

The DJ announced the final dance as the music began to play. The teen bodies swayed in time to the music as Edward and Bella spun gracefully.

Bella rested her head on Edward's shoulder as he held her tightly. She was starting to change her mind about her hatred for dancing. Dancing was quickly becoming one of her favorite activities.

_Tell me tell me  
What makes you think that you are invincible?  
I can see it in your eyes that your so sure  
Please don't tell me that I am the only one that's vulnerable  
Impossible_

"Mike Newton's head would make a very nice addition to all these wall ornaments," Edward said suddenly.

"Edward," Bella chided, lifting her head so she could look him in the eye. "Be nice, please."

"If you could only hear what he was thinking about you," Edward hissed lowly in reply, still spinning his girlfriend around. "On second thought, no. I don't want you to hear that boy's vile mind."

The brunette sighed. "Edward, you're being silly." She told him as she kissed the tip of his nose. "No matter what that boy is thinking, it will never happen. I belong to _you_. Always. Mike Newton can fantasize all he wants, but he'll never have me. Now please, can we finish up this dancing thing and go home?"

A ghost of a smile tugged at Edward's lips. He kissed Bella's forehead, and glared at Mike, who was watching from across the room, spinning Jessica around to the slow song. Bella looked into Edward's eyes pleadingly, and his glare instantly softened as he gazed back at her.

"Come on," Edward said, lifting Bella into his arms again. "Let's go. I promised Charlie that I would have you home early."

"But the dance isn't over yet," Bella protested. Though she couldn't exactly say that she minded leaving, she certainly didn't want to go home. It was much too early to go to bed still, and if she went home, Charlie would make Edward do the same.

Edward chuckled. "Oh please," he rolled his eyes as he strolled out of the gym, Bella still in his arms. "You don't need to pretend that you were actually enjoying the dance."

Bella sighed, "Dancing isn't one of my favorite pastimes, no." she said, letting her head fall to Edward's shoulder. "But I was enjoying the time with you, very much."

Edward smiled. How a beautiful girl like Bella would actually want to spend time with a monster like him was beyond his imagination. However, he wasn't going to complain about her presence, either. Far from it, actually.

"We have all this summer to spend together," he said, relishing the thought. "And then there's senior prom . . . ,"

"Ack," Bella wrinkled her nose. "Let's cross that very deadly bridge when we come to it, shall we?"

Edward laughed as he gently placed Bella in the car, and sped to the other side to seat himself in the driver's seat. Bella just glared at him as he pulled away from the school. How dare he laugh at her?

"Do I have to go home already?"

Edward smiled. "Yes, Bella."

"But you'll have to leave once we get there," she whined, voicing her concerns out loud. "And it's much too early to say that I am going to bed."

"I'll be in your bedroom when you do get sleepy," the vampire promised, "but until then, you should probably spend some time with Charlie."

_Charlie?_ Bella thought. _What is going on with Charlie?_

"He loves you, you know," Edward explained, as if he had read Bella's mind. "He's very happy that you've decided to stay. You need to make sure that he knows you're happy here. He's still a bit unsure over how long you really are planning to stay, when you're going to get sick of this place again and move to Florida with your mother."

He frowned. It was very selfish of him, but Edward didn't want Bella to ever leave Forks. Although another part of him wished that she would run as far away as she could from him and his fangs.

"I am not going anywhere." Bella said sternly. Apparently, it was her turn to be the mind reader. "I will not go anywhere that you will not follow."

Edward sighed, and didn't say anything else as he pulled into Bella's driveway. He quickly was at Bella's door, and lifting her into his arms. He set her down once they got to the doorstep though, unsure over how Charlie would feel if he saw him carrying her like he often did.

Edward pushed open the door to see Charlie napping on the living room couch. The couple shared a laugh and Edward carried Bella up the stairs, and into her room. He was just lying her on her bed, when suddenly he was sitting in the rocking chair, and Bella was sleeping in bed. He turned to the window, and saw the outside brighter.

It was morning.

"Oh!" Bella sat up so quickly, Edward almost thought that he imagined her moving. But after he blinked, she was still there. Uncertain of what exactly was going on, he just smiled tentatively at her.

"Edward!" she exclaimed. "You stayed!" The next thing Edward knew, she was launching herself across the room, and into his lap. Then, she froze.

Edward did, too. This entire scene was very, very familiar. He knew for a fact that this had happened before. What the hell was going on? He would have to speak to Alice and Carlisle about this later. But for the time being, he decided to play along. Bella obviously had no idea what had happened.

"Erm," he said, trying to smile. "Of course I stayed." He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she contently laid her cheek on his shoulder.

"I was sure it was a dream,"

Edward snorted. "You're not that creative."

Whoa, again with the Déjà Vu. Something very strange was going on. When did this happen? Edward had to ask himself. It was obviously before the James incident, but what day exactly?

His mind automatically thought of the meadow.

Of course! How could he forget? This was the morning after they returned from the meadow. The day Bella met his family.

The day Bella met James.

Edward's eyes just about bugged out of his head. Somehow time had reversed itself. He had a chance. A chance to stop it. If they avoided baseball, Bella would never run into James and his coven. He could save her from all that horror.

"I need another human minute," Bella said suddenly. Edward smiled at her beautiful face when she lifted her head to look at him.

"By all means," he said, and Bella bounded off towards the bathroom, taking a small bag with her. Once she was gone, someone else in the room cleared their throat.

"Hello Edward,"


	3. Chapter 2: The Game

Edward's topaz eyes met a pair of angry crimson orbs. A quiet growl emitted from his chest as he glared at the cat-like woman before him, and the red-haired fiend only laughed at his rage.

"Good morning, Edward," Victoria said, a horrible smile spreading across her lips. "Feeling a sense of déjà vu, are we?"

"Victoria," Edward hissed. "What do you want?"

The female cackled. "Revenge."

"Revenge?" Edward was confused. "Revenge for what, exactly?"

"You killed James," she sneered as if the answer was completely obvious. Her arms folded over her chest as she continued to glare at the beautiful boy. "I can't let you get away with killing my mate, now can I?"

"You turned back time," Edward argued. "You have your precious James back."

Victoria raised her eyebrows. "Oh but Edward," she said, "The damage is already done. He may be back, but the fact is, you still harmed him. I may have been able to bring him back, but just because the error is corrected doesn't mean that you get away scot-free."

"Then what do you want from me?"

The female smirked. "You know Edward," she said, the smirk not leaving her face. "I am very much like my husband. I love games, too. I've decided to start my own."

"What are you talking about?" Edward was obviously frustrated. Bella would be back soon, and she couldn't come in here while Victoria was here. He wasn't a fool. He knew that she could hurt Bella so easily. And if she wanted revenge so badly, she would.

"No one but you, James, and I know about the time reversal," she explained. "It'll be our little secret. But James and I aren't going anywhere. You see, by the end of the month, Bella will be dead."

Edward snarled. "You won't lay one hand on her . . . ,"

"She may live," she hinted cautiously, "but only if you find a way to save her in time. That's the fun of the game. Don't count on winning, though. You don't have any help on this one, Edward. You tell anyone of this meeting and they won't believe you. They'll think you're mad." She grinned evilly. "You're on your own, and the clock is ticking. You have a month." She smirked, "Good luck, Eddie boy."

And she was gone.

He could feel the panic etched on his face. How was he going to do this? He would have to, though. There was no way he would let anyone harm his angel. No one would take his light away from him. Ever.

"Edward," a quiet voice spoke from behind the bronze-haired boy, and he whirled to see Bella standing in the doorframe. "Are you alright?"

He took in a sharp intake of air as he nodded. "I'm fine, Bella," he said, stepping forward to wrap her in an embrace. _But you may not be . . ._ he thought remorsefully.

"Edward," Bella persisted, pulling away to look at her love's face. A pale finger traced his jaw line as she frowned. "You're lying to me."

"No," he said. But he _was_ lying. He was not 'fine'. And now he was lying about lying. But he _would be_ fine, and so would she. He would find a way to save her. "I'm fine Bella. I'm just . . . thinking. Not a big deal."

"Are you sure?" her hand dropped from his face. "You seem . . ." she took a moment to analyze his facial expression. After a moment, she concluded, "sad."

He forced a smile. "Don't worry, Bella." He sighed, taking her hand. "Let's get you some breakfast, shall we?"

She frowned, not satisfied with his reply. But she took his hand and let him take her down the stairs anyway. She would get it out of him eventually. If it was at all serious he would tell her. _Wouldn't he? _Bella sighed, once again glad that her mind was hidden from his abilities.

---------------------------------------

"What are we doing today, Edward?" Bella asked in between spoonfuls of her cereal. She had made her breakfast, and Edward was sitting in the seat across from her; Charlie's chair.

Edward smiled warmly. "I thought I would take you to meet my family," he replied truthfully. He might as well stick to the original activities. _But we are not playing baseball. _

Bella looked as if she might have fainted. Her eyes wide and innocent, she looked almost fearful. Edward frowned, was it all finally hitting her? And then he remembered.

"You're afraid?" he asked, a smirk spreading across his lips. He remembered her reply from the last time they had this conversation, but he wanted to hear it again.

"Not of them," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm afraid they won't like me."

Edward couldn't resist. "So if they take a bite out of you, you won't mind," he raised his eyebrows, "but if they don't like you, that's when it's bad, correct?"

She heard the playfulness in his voice, and she smirked too. She could tell he was joking, and Edward was glad that she hadn't taken him seriously. He didn't want her to be afraid, although she should have been.

"Correct," she agreed. "Though I'm sure I'm not very tasty."

"I'd have to disagree," Edward retorted mischievously, picking up her empty cereal bowl. He heard Bella chuckle as he rinsed it out, and placed it in the sink.

"I'm going to go change," she announced. She kissed Edward's cheek once more before she started up the stairs. He watched her retreating figure and frowned. No one would take her from him. He wouldn't allow it, ever.

"Hey there, Eddie." A voice said from behind him. "How ya doin'?"

Edward spun on his heel to be faced with Laurent.

--------------------------------------------

Bella searched through her closet, trying to find something presentable. She huffed. She was completely oblivious as to what to wear. What was one supposed to wear to meet their vampire sweetheart's family? There certainly wasn't a handbook on that sort of thing.

She decided against jeans and a t-shirt. Something told her it would be slightly more formal then that sort of thing. She wanted to look decent, not sloppy.

Eventually she settled on a blue sweater and a kaki skirt. It was long, and the closest thing she had to casual-formal. Casual-formal . . . did that even exist?

She just shrugged and changed. She was just trying to distract herself, and she knew it. Instead of continuing to stall, she quickly strolled to the door, and pushed it open.

----------------------------------------------------

"Laurent," Edward sneered, "Hello."

Laurent folded his arms over his chest. "How have you been?"

"I've been better," Edward replied through gritted teeth. Who did this guy think he was? Something told him that Laurent's attitude was going to get extremely annoying.

"That's too bad," Laurent frowned. "Well, James just thought I should pop in and warn you of my gift."

Edward raised his eyebrows. "Gift?"

"Mm-hmm," Laurent said arrogantly, smirking again. "Your sister? The one with that whole psychic thing . . . Annie, is it?"

Edward snorted. "Alice."

"Right, right," Laurent nodded. "Well. She won't be able to see us coming. So, don't count on her to be your savior this time. I have us cloaked. As far as she's concerned, we don't exist."

Edward wanted to scream profanities. He truly was on his own. He would have no warning. He would have to have Bella by his side every single moment. And if he couldn't, he would be watching from the shadows. He had to save her.

"Oops," Laurent said suddenly, "The girl is coming. Gotta jet, then. I'll see ya around, Eddie."

And then he was gone, too.

"Okay," Bella said. "All ready."

Edward smiled and stepped towards her. He took his hand in hers and led her to the Volvo. The problem was convincing the family not to play baseball . . . that wouldn't be easy. He wouldn't turn down baseball unless something serious was going on. Which there was, but they didn't know that. How was he going to do this?

Bella knew something was wrong. She saw it in her love's face. She was a smart girl, in fact she was brilliant. Something like Edward's emotions couldn't get past her. But what irked her was that she couldn't see exactly what was wrong, and he wouldn't tell her. Perhaps he was rethinking things; regretting what he said at the meadow. Her heart clenched. No, it couldn't be that. He wouldn't lie to her, not about that. Would he?

Edward, just like Bella, was completely lost. He wasn't sure how he would do it, but he knew that he would. He wouldn't let anything happen to Bella. Without her, there was no meaning to his life, no point of his otherwise worthless existence. He would fight to the end to save her.

What he didn't know was that it would be impossible.

"Here we are," he said, pulling into the driveway. "Welcome to my home, Bella."

_Here's the weight of the world on my shoulders  
On my shoulders  
All alone I pierce the chain  
And on and on the sting remains  
And dieing eyes consume me now  
The voice inside screams out loud_

**(Fly From the Inside: Shinedown)**


	4. Chapter 3: Truth or Dare

Bella sighed, and lifted her head to look into the eyes of the bronze haired boy next to her. They were lying together on Edward's couch, shortly after they came upstairs to spend some time alone. The boy was lying on his back, one arm beneath Bella as she snuggled close to him, her head on his chest.

"Edward," she frowned.

Edward shifted his eyes from the ceiling to the human's curious face. This scene wasn't familiar to him in the least. He recalled tackling her at one point, he was certain that it happened towards the beginning of her visit. Or perhaps it didn't . . . this was all so confusing for him.

He had told her of Carlisle's history, just as he remembered, and he played the piano for her some time before. And then they came up to his room. He supposed some things were bound to change because he was doing things a little differently. After all, he wasn't saying things word-for-word, so some of her reactions were different. Like this, for example.

"What's wrong, dearest?" Edward tried to frown, but he realized that he already had been doing so. He couldn't help it, though. His mind kept traveling back to James and his coven.

"There is still something bothering you," she replied, lying her head back down. "You haven't said a word since we came up here and I asked you about the stereo. You're worried about something." She sighed. She was clearly distressed by the fact that Edward wasn't telling her the full truth, "Please tell me what's upsetting you," she pressed.

"I told you, Bella," Edward lowered his head to press his lips to her hair. "I promised you that it was nothing that you should fret about. Please just leave it be."

Bella groaned in frustration. "But it's something that _you're_ worrying about," she said, exasperated. She pulled herself from Edward's arms and sat up. "And if it worries you, it worries me. I don't like the fact that you're not talking to me. Something is the matter, and you're not telling me what it is."

"Do you trust me?" Edward blurted.

"More than anything," Bella admitted.

"Then leave it be."

Bella huffed, "But Edward . . . ,"

"Bella," he pressed his lips into a thin line, and Bella folded her arms over her chest and looked away. Edward had to smile a little at that. She was absolutely adorable when she was pouting.

Suddenly, Bella's face changed. Her eyes held an emotion that Edward couldn't place, but whatever it was gave him the urge to reach out and comfort her. Damn the Gods for blocking her precious mind from him! The one mind he wanted desperately to reach was hidden. What was upsetting his Bella so?

"Maybe it's not worry that I see," she said, frowning. "Perhaps it's regret."

Edward didn't understand. Was she talking about the car accident again? No, that couldn't possibly be it. What on earth could she possibly imagine him regretting?

"Regret for what?"

"For yesterday," she replied, "I think you're having doubts about what happened in the meadow. It occurred to me earlier, before we came here. You regret telling me that you loved me, don't you?"

"Isabella!" Edward gasped, sitting up from his lying position, "Bella, you're being completely absurd! How could you think something so ridiculous?" He stared at her with wide eyes. "I love you. I could never regret anything about yesterday, especially not my confession of how much you truly mean to me. You're everything, Bella. Never doubt that. Never."

"I love you," he repeated. His hand reached out and cupped Bella's cheek, and his thumb brushed away a stray tear that fell. Bella leaned into his palm, closing her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He sighed. "You should be," he said, shaking his head.

Bella smiled sadly and opened her eyes. Edward smiled too, and pulled her into his lap, her back to his chest and his arms around her waist.

"I love you," he reinforced.

The girl smiled. "I know," she said, leaning back to rest her head on his shoulder, "I love you, too."

_I was born to tell you I love you  
Isn't that a song already  
I get a B in originality  
And its true I can't go on without you  
Your smile makes me see clear  
If you could only see in the mirror what I see _

"Ohh, Edward!" A cheery voice called from the hallway. Only moments later, Alice was parading into the room, a goofy smile on her face. She winked at Bella before she addressed her brother. "Guess what I saw?"

Edward was still smiling, still in lover boy mode. "What did you see, Alice?" he asked, his arms tightening slightly around Bella's waist.

"Stormy weather," she grinned. "What do you say to a game of baseball?"

"No." He snapped immediately.

"Baseball?" Bella questioned.

"Absolutely not," Edward persisted. "Trust me on this one. It's not a good idea." Well that was an understatement. Baseball was about the worst idea in the world at the time.

Alice huffed. "Well, why not?"

"Can we please just stay around here?" Edward had dropped as low as begging. "I'll talk to you about it later, Alice." He raised his eyebrows, and spoke the last line in a tongue that was too low and fast for Bella's human ears.

"I would be alright with that," Bella offered on Edward's behalf. After all, she just assumed that he was suggesting hanging about at home because of the likelihood of her falling on her face. She and sports didn't exactly mix.

"Alright," Alice sighed. "We'll play another time, then."

Edward nodded. "Good idea, Al."

"Come on then," Alice said with a smile, "Let's go bond downstairs. I'm sure there are some games around here we could play, or some old stuff we could look through."

Bella smiled. "Okay," she said. Edward released his grip on her waist and helped her stand, snatching her hand in his the moment they exited the room. He said that he would attach her to his hip if necessary, and he meant it.

"What kind of game do you have in mind, Alice?" Edward asked suspiciously as they walked down the stairs much slower than usual, for the sake of Bella.

An evil gleam shined in the pixie-like vampire's eyes. She flashed her teeth and winked at her brother. "You'll see," she sang.

Bella winced. "Because that doesn't scare me at all . . . ,"

"Silly Bella," Edward coaxed. "We're not thirsty."

"I'm not scared about that," Bella rolled her chocolate eyes, "One of you taking a bite out of me isn't even close to being one of my fears."

Alice smiled. "She trusts you."

Edward winced at her word choice, and looked away. "Then what are you afraid of?" he asked, still avoiding the eyes of the two girls with him.

"She's scheming something," Bella said, wide eyes traveling to Alice. "That is scary in itself. The fact that she is scheming something involving a game, and me, that's what's scary."

Edward laughed. "She sees right through you, Aly-Al."

Once they reached downstairs the whole family, save for Rosalie, was sitting on the couches that were laid out in the living room. Immediately Emmett grinned.

"Truth or Dare tiiiiiiiiime!"

Edward blinked. "No way."

"What Eddie," Emmett said mockingly, "Afraid of a little dare?"

Bella snickered.

"Don't be a baby," Alice said, taking Bella's free hand, pulling her away from Edward and sitting her down on the couch. "Let's have a little fun."

"Come on," Bella smiled. "How bad can it be?"

Edward sighed, and sat down next to Bella, sandwiching her between him and Alice. Suddenly Edward's eyes snapped to the archway where Rosalie was standing.

"I have a dare," she smiled evilly.

"Don't." Edward snarled.

"Bite her." Rosalie smirked.

Bella's eyes widened as she stared at the beautiful, spiteful blonde. Was she seriously suggesting that Edward would kill her? Isn't that what a vampire bite did? Her eyes darted to Edward's coal black orbs and to the faces of his siblings. Emmett looked shocked, and Jasper looked disgusted. Alice just looked annoyed.

"Rose," Emmett said softly.

Edward snarled fiercely and jumped up from his seat on the couch. Bella's eyes just about popped out of her head, and she resisted the urge to shrink back into the cushions. The feeling was strange for her. She had never been afraid of him before. It was odd, being terrified. That's how she should have felt all the time in his presence, but she loved him far too much to ever really fear him. Well, except for this moment. She almost felt ashamed of herself too, for feeling that way. It was just the combination of his midnight black eyes, the anger in his voice, and the fact that he was actually _growling _that scared her, that he could actually get that angry.

"I won't do that to her and you know it," he snapped, glaring daggers at his sister.

_Do what!? _Bella wanted to scream.

Rosalie didn't look phased at all. "You can't turn down a dare, now can you?"

"I can," Edward said, grabbing Bella's hand, and gently pulling her to her feet. Bella couldn't resist noticing how light his touch was when he pulled her away, compared to the sheer venom in his voice as he spat at Rosalie, "And I _will_."

_There's a place in the dark where the animals go  
You can take off your skin in the cannibal glow  
Juliet loves the beat and the lust it commands  
Drop the dagger and lather the blood on your hands, Romeo _

------------------------------------------

**Music: **

Vulnerable – Secondhand Serenade

The Sharpest Lives – My Chemical Romance


	5. Chapter 4: Surprise

so i decided that it wasn't very nice of me to leave you hanging on this one. i found my outline the other day and i realized that i really liked this story. i have every chapter planned out, so i figured, 'what the hell?' and i started writing again. so uh, here is the next chapter.

Heaven Help Us is done though. i was completely stuck on that one anyway. sorry guys.

updates will not be as frequent as they used to be though, but at least they're coming, right?

* * *

"I'm sorry about tonight," Edward said, his voice calming as he drove away from his house. "I wanted today to be a good day for you."

"It was a good day," Bella replied, ripping her eyes from the speeding trees to look at her love's face. "I was with you."

Edward smiled a small smile. "I'm sorry that I scared you," he said, frowning. "But Rosalie just made me so mad. I couldn't control it. I told you before, sometimes I have a problem with my temper. I shouldn't have acted the way I did, I . . . ,"

"You didn't scare me," Bella stopped his ranting. It was a lie of course, he truly did scare her, but she couldn't stand him putting himself down like he was. She thought it best to stop him before he said anything more.

To Bella's surprise, Edward snorted. She raised an eyebrow at this, and he only rolled his eyes. "Don't lie to me, Bella," he said. "I read Jasper's thoughts. You were terrified of me." The sadness and shame was entirely obvious in his voice.

"Oh Edward, no," Bella said, reaching out to lay a hand on his shoulder. "Please don't. I wasn't afraid of you. I could never be afraid of you. I was just . . . shocked, that's all."

Bella wanted to kick herself. She had been afraid, but she wasn't going to admit it. She didn't want Edward thinking that she didn't trust him, that she thought he would ever hurt her. She _knew_ he wouldn't. She was so ashamed of herself for being scared.

"You _should_ have been petrified," he told her. "That's what upsets me, Bella. I read Jasper's mind, remember? You were absolutely terrified of my rage, and you were _shaming _yourself for it." He banged his fists against the steering wheel. "You were rightly afraid. A normal human would have run away. But you, you stayed put, kicking yourself for being frightened."

"Because I love you."

Edward sighed. "You really shouldn't."

"Yes," she agreed. "But that's not going to stop me."

"I'm so awful for you," he pressed, pulling into Bella's driveway. Yes, it was true. Edward knew he was the worst thing that could have ever walked into Bella's life. If it weren't for him, he wouldn't be fighting to save said life behind her back.

"Oh yeah," Bella said sarcastically, "Because having a human that tempts you to kill her and kiss her at the very same time must be so easy." Bella flushed. Did she really just say that aloud?

Edward laughed. "Isabella Swan, you are the very best thing to happen to me," he explained honestly. "But I could very well be the worst thing to happen to _you_."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Edward you are the furthest thing from terrible for me," she said. "Sure, without you my life would be a lot more normal, but who would love me like you do? Who would _I love_, for that matter?"

"You'd find someone . . . ,"

"Like who?" Bella demanded, annoyed. "Someone like Mike Newton?"

Edward winced. "If he would make you happy . . . ,"

"He wouldn't, and you know it." Bella was growing angry. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. How could Edward ever think such a thing?

Edward sighed. "But someone would," he said. "If I had never come along, you most certainly would have found someone else, someone better for you."

Bella scoffed. "Well that someone wouldn't be you," she snapped. "And that simply isn't good enough."

Edward couldn't resist smiling at that one. The simple fact that Bella wanted no one other than him warmed his dead heart. He took the moment to marvel over the idea that just being around her made him feel as if his cold heart was beating again. Ah, the wonders of love.

"Come on," Bella sighed. "Can we go inside before Charlie gets home?"

Edward realized something then. Unlike the last time he lived this day, the Black boy and his father were not waiting in the driveway. Edward smiled to himself. Rosalie's little prank had given them one advantage. They got home earlier than expected.

"Sure," Edward said, still smiling. He, at vampire speed, pushed open his door and dashed to Bella's door, to hold it open for her. He shrugged off his jacket to hold over Bella's head to keep her from the frigid rain as they walked to the front door.

_Always the gentleman, _Bella thought, smiling.

"Thank you," Bella said as Edward hung his, now soaked, jacket on the wooden coat rack that sat by the door. She felt heat rising to her cheeks again, this time in a blush.

Edward smiled warmly. "You're welcome," he took her hand in his and led her to the kitchen. "It's almost two," he said, "You should eat."

Bella sighed, and headed towards the refrigerator. Edward took in place in Charlie's seat, watching her closely as she pulled out the supplies to make a sandwich. When she placed them down on the counter, she looked over to see Edward's gaze.

"What?" she asked, looking down at her clothing to make sure she hadn't spilled anything on herself or something else embarrassing like that.

Edward chuckled. "Nothing," he shrugged. "I was just thinking."

"About?" Bella asked as she pulled a plate out of the cabinet and placed it down on the counter. She silently worried. Edward was thinking. That could potentially be bad.

"Taking you out to dinner tonight," He smiled and was instantly at Bella's side.

Bella raised her eyebrows. "And what will I tell my father?"

"Tell him you have a date with your _boyfriend_," he smirked and took the knife from her hands. He gave her a look that said, _'I'll take care of the sharp objects, thanks.'_

"Would you _like_ my father to have a coronary?" Bella asked, watching as Edward took over making her lunch.

Edward rolled his eyes. "You're seventeen," he said. "Your father will understand." _Trust me. I know he'll be fine with it. I've been there._

"You think?" Bella bit her lip.

"I think you should introduce me to Charlie as your boyfriend tonight," Edward replied with a nod. The next thing Bella knew, her sandwich was on the table, and he was back in his chair.

"Is that what you _are?"_

Edward shrugged, as Bella sat down in the chair across from him and bit into her sandwich. "It's a loose interpretation of the word _boy_, but yes, that's the basic idea."

"I just assumed you were more than that," Bella flushed and looked away from his intense eyes. She took another bite and looked down at the hardwood floor as if there were something fascinating hidden there.

Edward smiled, pleased with her reply. This entire conversation was familiar, he even remembered his next response, "Well, I don't know if we need to give him all the gory details."

He smirked, and Bella looked up to meet his playful eyes, dancing with amusement.

"But I do believe he deserves an explanation as to why I will be around so often. No need for your father to put a restraining order on me."

Bella was suddenly anxious by the idea of him sticking around. For some reason, she truly didn't believe that he would. But after their discussion earlier that day, she decided it would be best for her not to voice her surprise on the matter. She didn't want to upset Edward by doubting the depths of his feelings again. The idea just took some getting used to.

So instead, she just smiled and said, "Okay." She nodded, "I'll talk to Charlie as soon as he comes home."

Edward smiled, "Good," he said.

"May I have another human moment?" Bella asked. She figured that she should get ready early, so Charlie wouldn't have time to interrogate Edward before they left for dinner.

Edward nodded. "Sure Bella," he said, standing up. "I'll wait here, if you don't mind. I'd rather avoid my sister for a little while."

Bella chuckled. "Sure, no problem," she said. She rose too, and spun on her heel to skip up the stairs. Edward watched her go until he heard a tapping from across the room.

"Hey there, Eddie," Victoria said, tapping her nails against the kitchen counter. "How are you this afternoon?"

He scowled. "I was doing rather well, thanks."

James smirked from behind her. "Oh, trust me," he said. "Things are about to get a great deal worse for you and your little pet."

"You won't touch her," he growled.

Victoria cackled. "Too late."

– x – o – x – o – x –

Her pale hands snatched her toiletries quickly, and she stumbled towards the bathroom. That was until she heard a crash from behind her. She froze.

"Hello Isabella."

Bella spun around to be faced with a pair of crimson eyes.


	6. Chapter 5: Hostage

Bella stared at the vampire in front of her with wide eyes. Her chocolate eyes locked with Laurent's crimson ones, and the male stepped closer. Bella stumbled back a step, keeping as much distance from the vampire as she could.

He, much like all the other vampires she knew, was gorgeous. His skin was darker than the others, however. There seemed to be a touch of olive beneath the chalky pallor. His brown hair was straight as a pin, and there seemed to be a little blonde in a few places. It fell to just above his chin, his bangs swept to the side.

_A punk vampire, _Bella thought. _Well, that's . . . new._

"Don't move," the male warned. His voice was as alluring as his beautiful face, and Bella was compelled to listen to his smooth command. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Oh?" The girl tried her best to stay still, but the urge to run was damn near impossible to ignore. "Then what do you want?"

He rolled his eyes. "Honestly, I want her to let this bullshit go," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "But she wants Edward to pay, and what Victoria wants, Victoria gets." He scoffed and muttered something about her being a 'spoiled brat.'

"Who on earth is Victoria?" she asked, feeling a strange surge of confidence. The vampire before her didn't scare her in the least. Almost in the way Edward never did, but not quite. He wasn't going to hurt her, at least, not _yet._

"Trust me," Laurent said, raising his eyebrows. "You don't want to know." He took another step forward. Bella flinched, but stayed put otherwise. "She and James are taking care of your lover boy right now."

"What has she done with him?" Bella demanded, her eyes widening again in fear. If something had happened to Edward, she couldn't imagine what she would do.

He laughed. "Oh don't worry about him," Laurent said, "They aren't going to hurt him physically. Not yet, at least. That comes after they kill _you_."

Bella gulped.

"Come with me," Laurent said.

"Who _are_ you?" Bella demanded.

The male sighed. "The closest thing you are going to get to a friend between now and the end of your pathetic human life." He raised his eyebrows and stepped back towards the window. "You have two choices. Come with me painlessly, or wait for James and Victoria."

Needless to say, Bella jumped on his back and let him take her. She had no idea who James and Victoria were, and she didn't want to meet them any sooner then she had to.

– x – o – x – o – x –

"What have you done with Bella?" Edward demanded. His fists were shaking in both anger and anxiety. What had they done to his Bella? Had they already taken her? Killed her? Or had they taken it a step further and done worse than that?

Victoria cackled. "Laurent is taking care of her as we speak." Her eyes gleamed. "You're too late, Edward. We've already taken her. Now is the most fun part of the game."

"And what part is that?" Edward snapped, disgusted and afraid.

"Hide and seek," Victoria winked.

The two disappeared in an instant. Edward fell to his knees, and hid his face in his hands. What was he going to do? How was he going to save his precious angel?

The boy heard a ghostly chuckle. His head snapped up, but he saw nothing.

"The clock's ticking, Edward," James' arrogant voice chortled. "You'd best get a move on if you want to save Isabella."

Edward snarled. If they wanted a fight, they'd get one. They would regret walking into Bella's life.

_Ready or not, here I come._

And he ran outside into the pouring Forks rain.

– x – o – x – o – x –

"Alice?" Jasper's concerned voice asked. "Alice darling, what's wrong?"

"Bella . . ." she whispered.

Jasper's eyes widened. He could feel the concern and fear radiating off of his wife. Her emotions were hitting him in tangible waves. He watched her shake her head mechanically.

"What about Bella?" he demanded.

"I don't know how," she said, her voice a mere whisper, "but Bella is in danger. Other vampires have her, Jasper; vampires with a different diet then us."

"What exactly do you see, Alice?"

"They're going to kill her." Her angelic voice shook.

Jasper was suddenly hit with enough emotion to nearly knock him over. He even stumbled a little as the pure, unadulterated amount of fear, worry, and immense _pain_ smacked him in the back like a ton of bricks.

He spun around to see Edward staring at him and his wife. His face held so many emotions and unexpressed words. He even looked as if he had quite a bit to say.

All Edward could manage was a strangled, "No."

"We'll stop them," Alice said, rising from her place on the couch. She laid a hand on her husband's shoulder, and a wave of calm and hope spread through the room. "We won't let those leeches touch her. Don't you worry."

"We'll save her." Jasper nodded in agreement. "Don't bet against Alice."

Edward managed a weak smile, but he almost instantly recovered and became serious again. His topaz eyes flashed to his sister. "Where are they?"

Alice blinked. "Uh . . . ," she said dumbly. "I'm not quite sure of that one yet, give me a moment." Her eyes snapped shut.

She saw herself standing in the middle of a warehouse . . . . somewhere. She couldn't be sure of where _exactly_ she was, however. The room was dark, only a small amount of moonlight shining through the windows on the ceiling. She saw Bella's mangled body towards the center of the room, Edward holding her to his chest and sobbing tearlessly. Across from them, two sets of crimson eyes shimmered ominously in the midnight light.

When Alice's eyes fluttered open again, she groaned. That hadn't helped her in the least. The vision was no different than her previous one.

"They're in a warehouse," she announced. "I can't see where, though. But how many warehouses can there be in the vicinity of Forks?"

"There are several warehouses in Port Angeles," Emmett said from the doorway. He stepped into the living room swiftly and took a seat on the couch near Alice. "But it would take forever to search through all of them."

Edward growled. "That will take too long!" he exclaimed. "We can't possibly have that much time! We have to find her. I can't let them kill her, Alice. I can't lose her. I _won't_ lose her."

"We'll find her," Jasper said, sending more calming waves at his brother. "We just need a plan."

A new voice sounded from the doorway. "I might have one."

– x – o – x – o – x –

"Here we are," Laurent announced as he led the human into a small bedroom. The room was painted a dark sky blue, the carpet a slightly lighter shade. There was a bed against the back wall, with a dresser, closet, and another door to a bathroom. However, there were no windows.

Bella raised her eyebrows, surprised by the nice place of captivity. Considering that this was what she believed would be her final resting place, it was rather nice.

Laurent noticed and chuckled. "Nice digs, huh?"

"Something like that." Bella found herself chucking, too.

"Can I ask you something?" Laurent asked, shutting the door. He sat at the foot of the bed, his legs dangling over the edge, and his arms folded over his chest.

Bella shrugged. "Shoot." He might as well. She was probably going to be there for a while. Maybe if she made friends with him, they'd let her go back to Edward. Hah. Fat chance.

"How the hell did you end up dating a vampire?" he blurted. "Aren't you afraid he's going to eat you, or something?"

Bella snorted. "No, not really," she said, rolling her eyes. "I trust him not to, erm, 'eat me.'" She used air-quotes around the odd phrase.

"Hm," Laurent hummed. "That must be nice, I guess."

"It is," Bella frowned.

"I'm Laurent, by the way," the male said, suddenly. "You're going to be seeing quite a bit of me around here."

Bella raised her eyebrows. "I'm going to be here for a while?" she asked. "You're not going to kill me?"

"Not yet," his inhumanly sharp teeth gleamed. "Victoria and James want to freak your lover boy out a little bit first. Then they're going to kill you both."

Bella gulped. _Gee,_ she thought. _That's a pleasant mental image_.

"Why?" she asked. "What does Victoria want revenge for?"

Laurent sighed. "It's a really long story," he said. "But basically, Edward killed James because he was hunting you. Victoria turned back time, to bring James back, which is why you don't remember your rather unpleasant near-death experience. So now, Victoria wants to kill you to punish Edward for killing the man that she loved."

"But she has him back," Bella protested.

Laurent shrugged. "You see, that's what I said." He rolled his eyes again. "I think that she should just let it go and leave things be. But no. She's just being volatile and stupid. But, that's just my opinion . . . ,"

"Oh, trust me," Bella muttered. "It's not only you."

Laurent laughed. "You know what?" he said. "I like you."

"Does that mean you'll let me go?"

"Nice try," Laurent laughed again. "But sadly, that's a definite no."

"Damn," Bella murmured.

"Haha," Laurent smirked. "Yeah, you're definitely my favorite hostage so far."

The girl blinked. "So far?"

"It was a joke," Laurent said.

"Oh." She nodded, not convinced. "Ha, ha?"

"Yes," Laurent raised an eyebrow. "Please relax, Bella."

Bella pursed her lips. "I'm being held hostage by three vampires who probably really want to 'eat me,'" again with the air-quotes, "and you want me to relax?"

"They're called chill pills, Bella," Laurent said. "Get a prescription."

"Oh shut up,"

"Be nice," Laurent warned. "I can eat you, remember?"

"You wouldn't dare."

Laurent snickered. "You're probably right."

"LAURENT, GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!"

Laurent groaned. "That would be me."

And he was gone.


	7. Chapter 6: Chance

_I need some distraction  
oh, beautiful release  
Memories seep from my veins  
Let me be empty  
and weightless and maybe  
I´ll find some peace tonight_

Bella lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling above her. She wasn't sure how long she had been lying in that bed, awaiting her fate. But she was absolutely positive that she was fed up with it. As absurd as the thought was, not to mention out of character, she truly wished they would just kill her already; end the pain. But she knew they wouldn't, they wanted to torture Edward for a bit longer first.

A quiet strangled cry escaped her lips and she rolled over on her stomach. She hid her face in the pillow, and resisted the urge to cry. _Edward. _

She would never see him again. She would never hear his velvet voice or his musical laugh. His cold touch would never again sooth her, his marble arms would never again rock her to sleep. He wouldn't be able to smile crookedly at her anymore, and help her up after a fall. She would never be able to tell him how much she loved him. She didn't even get a goodbye.

She was going to die. They were going to kill her in revenge of something that she didn't even remember because someone rewound time. What kind of world was she in? She lived in a world where vampires existed, and loved. In her world, the most important "person" to her didn't even have a steady heartbeat. And now they both were going to die.

She felt hot tears soaking her face as she sobbed. She imagined his face, pulled his melodic voice from her memories, did anything to make her believe that it wouldn't be long before she was wrapped in his arms again, falling asleep in his stone embrace. Pretending was always the best medicine.

"Hey," A cold hand touched her arm. "It'll be okay."

"Okay?" Bella spat angrily. She lifted her soaked, red face to see Laurent kneeling next to the bed. "You explain to me that both Edward and I are going to die, and you are telling me things are going to be _okay?_"

Laurent sighed. "I guess I deserved that," he said, grimacing at her fury. "Victoria and James are waiting for me to bring you to them. And I believe you ought to know something."

"What?" Bella demanded, furiously wiping away her tears.

Laurent pursed his lips. "I might have an idea."

- x – o – x – o -

"That is the third one, Rose," Emmett sighed. "Since my phone has been silent, I think it's safe to say that the others haven't found anything, either."

The beautiful female huffed. "Look, I don't even want to find the girl." She slammed the door and stepped back onto the streets, following her husband. "What has she done other then caused trouble to us?"

Her husband eyed her curiously. "She makes our brother happy, Rose." He took her hand and led her in the general direction of another random building where Bella could possibly have been stashed. "She's the only thing that has been able to make him truly happy in ages. You see him with her. He loves Bella more than anything. How could we let someone rob him of that love?"

"He doesn't love her," Rosalie retorted, rolling her eyes. "He's merely infatuated with her, with her humanity. He's only trying to hold onto what's left of his. He's trying to be something he's not. He's not human."

"Then why did you suggest splitting up," Emmett asked. "Why did you bother making an attempt to help?"

"_If_ he loves Isabella," she explained, "maybe he will realize what a fool he is. If we find her, and he _does_ truly love her, he'll see that he has no choice but to change her. That's the only reason that I am making any attempt at all."

Emmett just sighed again and shook his head. His own wife was a mystery to him. Instead of replying, he pointed to another building and said, "Let's try this one."

- x – o – x – o -

"Have you seen anything else, yet?" Edward prodded. He and Alice stood outside yet another empty warehouse, having found no clues as to where Bella had been taken. "This is taking too long, Alice. We have to hurry before . . . ,"

"Edward," Alice interrupted. "I'm so sorry. I haven't seen anything at all. You already know that. If I had seen anything, you would see it, too. I try to search into Bella's future, and it's like running into a wall. I can see _nothing_."

"What does that mean?" Edward asked, his eyes wide. He already knew what it meant, but deep down he was praying that there could possibly be another explanation.

"Well, that usually means that," She hid her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry, Edward. But it means that there _is_ no future." _It means we're too late, _she thought, knowing that Edward would hear her. "I'm so sorry, Edward."

"No!" He roared. "We can't be too late. She can't be gone! There has to be another explanation. We can't possibly be too late."

Edward Cullen's world officially collapsed.

"I don't believe it," he said, trying to be calm. "I refuse to believe that Bella is gone. I won't accept it until I see . . ." He took a sharp intake of breath. "I need to find her."

"You want proof?" Alice frowned in sadness and disbelief. "Edward, I – I think that's a bad idea. Seeing a – a body isn't going to help you."

Edward's fists clenched. "There is a chance. We have no evidence that they've killed her." He closed his eyes, banishing all thoughts of Bella dying from his mind.

"What other explanation could there be?" Alice asked, trying to reason with her brother. Seeing Bella the way she had seen her in that vision would kill him. He didn't need to see her bleeding and broken. He had to remember her as she was, alive and beautiful. Not like she had been in that horrid vision.

"I don't know," Edward replied, frustrated. "I know that it's small, but there is a possibility. What if you can't see her, like I can't read her?"

"I've seen her before, Edward." Alice sighed. "You know that."

"Are you going to help me, or not?" He snapped.

"Edward – I,"

"Fine, then," he said.

And then he was gone.

- x – o – x – o -

"An idea?" Bella raised his eyebrows.

"I can convince James and Victoria not to kill you," Laurent explained. "If I play my cards right, I can get them to change you, instead of killing you."

"Change me?" Bella cocked her head. "Change me into . . . you mean turn me into a vampire?"

Laurent nodded. "Then maybe you can get away," he went on. "You'll be strong enough to fight them off, and you can run off to Edward and your family."

Bella blinked. "Are you serious?" she asked, gaping at the beautiful vampire. She sat up, her eyes not leaving his. "You would help me?"

"If you're willing to be changed," he said. "I will."

"But, why?" She gasped.

"I hate James and Victoria," he said, as if that explained it all. "I'd love to see their little revenge plan fall apart. I'd also like to see your family tear them both apart. They've crossed me enough times to loathe them as I do." He shrugged. "Besides, I like you, remember?"

Bella raised an eyebrow. "If you hate them so much," she ventured, "why are you in their coven?"

"James is powerful," he replied. "He as a very unique gift. He can create illusions; make you see things that aren't there. I can use that to my advantage here because maybe he'll just make Edward think you're dead for a bit, hopefully not for long, though; maybe just during your transformation . . . ,"

"The transformation," Bella blurted. "How long does that take?"

"Three days," he replied. "Three days of the most intense pain ever imaginable. The entire time you'll find yourself wishing for death. But, look at the bright side, once you wake up you can skip off into the sunset with lover boy."

Bella bit her lip. "I'll have to fight them?"

"Maybe," Laurent admitted. "I'm winging this here. They might just ignore me and go straight to killing you. Or, maybe I can talk to them. Who knows. This is a pretty risky plan here, but there's a chance that you'll get to see Edward again. Then again, they might just end up killing you both together then . . . ,"

"I don't care," Bella interjected. "If there's a chance that I get to see him again, even if it's just to say goodbye, I'll do it."

"You must really love this guy," Laurent observed.

"More than anything in the world."

"Then let's get this party started." He winked.

* * *

Music:

Angel - Sara Mclachlen


	8. Chapter 7: Logic

I just wrote a really long author's note and it got deleted. Fuck it. Go look at my profile.

This chapter is decicated to Kayleigh, who doesn't think that it totally sucks, even though I totally hate it.

* * *

"Edward, please come home," Esme pleaded into the phone. "We all know how deeply you care for Bella, but searching for her on your own isn't wise. I just spoke to Alice, and –"

Edward sighed, resisting the urge to crush the cell phone in his fist. "I'm sorry Esme, but I have to do this. On my own."

"I'm glad you're being optimistic, Edward," his mother amended. "But please sweetheart, be logical about this –"

"_Logical?_" Edward sounded appalled. "Bella is missing and you want me to be _logical? _I'm sorry, but as you might imagine, it is a little difficult to rationalize when someone you love has been taken away from you, possibly for eternity."

Esme cast her eyes to the floor, and leaned backwards on the kitchen wall behind her. The phone cord was wrapped around her fingers, and she slowly started unraveling it.

"I'm sorry," she said pathetically. "I suppose that I can't _make_ you come home. But Edward, please consider your options, at least. I love you darling. I just want you to be happy."

Edward smiled a tiny smile. "I know," he said, rising from his place on the curb of the road. "I love you too, mom." He sighed, and ran a hand through his bronze hair. "I know you probably think I'm crazy, and I don't blame you. The whole family thinks I should just give up. They don't understand that I can't. I just can't give up on her. I won't abandon Bella."

"I don't think you're crazy." Esme shrugged, though her son couldn't see it. "You love her, Edward. I can understand that." She sighed. "Just, swear that you won't do anything stupid. This family can't stand to lose you."

"I swear," Edward vowed, though he knew that he wouldn't be keeping that promise. If Alice was right, and he refused to think about that option, he knew exactly what he would have to do. Esme would probably consider that choice foolish. But did she expect him to go on without her? "Tell everyone that I'm sorry." He flipped the phone shut.

Esme hung the phone back on the wall with a shaking hand. She had a nagging feeling that her son might not return home.

X O X O X O

"Hello Isabella," Victoria purred. She smiled a wicked smile, and James wrapped a pale arm around her waist. Bella's heart clenched as she wished that her Edward was there to hold her, just like James was holding her enemy.

"Hello." Her voice shook.

James grinned. "I suppose you would like us to get this over with?" His eyes gleamed. "You don't wish for us to torture your Edward any longer, hm?"

Laurent, who had been standing next to Bella, stepped forward. "Actually," he said, holding up his index finger. "I just might have an alternative to killing the girl; one that will punish Edward even more then if you were to rid him of her for all eternity."

Bella sucked in a breath.

"Oh?" Victoria was intrigued, as planned. "And what is that?"

Laurent smirked, pleased. "Change her."

"What?" James dropped his arms from his mate, and growled. "How on earth would saving her punish him? Laurent, have you gone insane?"

"I'm beyond insane, James. You know that." He chuckled. "But that's not the point."

Victoria scowled. "Then what is?"

"Edward wants nothing more than to save her." He gestured to the human with an open palm. "What would be more torture then to return his Bella to him as a monster, like us?"

"Let me get this straight." Victoria watched Laurent, her eyes calculating. "You want to change her, turn her into one of us, and then just return her to Edward? How is that punishment? He'll end up with his love in the end!"

"Why not?" Laurent raised his eyebrows. "You received your love back. You didn't lose anything for more than five minutes. Besides, what about the girl?"

"What about her?" James spat.

Laurent sighed. "Why punish her for something that is not her fault?" He asked, standing next to his new friend. "She doesn't even remember the ordeal."

"Who cares about her feelings?" Victoria asked, disgusted.

_I do. _Bella wanted to snap, but she held her tongue.

"Our kind is easily distracted," Laurent pointed out, changing the subject. "Edward has all of eternity to forget Isabella. If we kill her, he will eventually move on."

"Even so –" Victoria tried, but Laurent interrupted her.

"If we change Bella and we give her back to her love as a vampire, a monster, he will have eternity to blame himself for what has happened," Laurent continued. "Every single day he will look into the eyes of the woman he loves and think, _'If only I could have saved her.'_ Every day that passes, he'll remember. He'll know that if he could have saved her, she could have had a normal life. She could have finished high school, had children perhaps," he grinned wickedly, "but because of him, she will be damned to the life of the undead."

"You are absolutely twisted!" James smirked.

Victoria grinned. "I think we should do it."

"Besides, how could you want to kill this one?" He pinched Bella's cheeks. "She's so adorable!" He said, his voice raising an octave as he did so.

Bella raised her eyebrows. "Wow," she said, strangely calm after what just happened. "You went from sadistic vampire to a cheerleader in five seconds. I think that's a new record."

James chortled. "You're right Laurent," he said. "She is rather entertaining. Take her back to her room and explain the process to her. Afterwards, you should be the one to change her. I don't trust myself to not kill her, and I think Victoria might do just that out of spite."

Victoria smirked, and Bella gulped.

"Okie-dokie," Laurent smirked.

"Well, aren't you morbidly cheerful?" Victoria raised an eyebrow.

Laurent just shrugged and led Bella up the stairs.

X O X O X

"Just do it, Laurent."

The male sighed. "Are you absolutely positive this is what you want?"

"As opposed to dying?" Bella raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure, Laurent. I want to do this. Let's just this over with, please?"

"There is no turning back after this . . . ,"

Bella groaned. "For the third time, I want you to do it." She was about ready to smash her head through the nearest wall. She only wanted to get to Edward. "I don't want to drag this out anymore. Just bite me already."

Laurent nodded. "Lie down," he commanded.

Bella did as she was told, lying her head back against the pillows. Laurent was next to her in an instant, and he looked at the human cautiously.

"Do it."

Laurent took a deep breath, bracing himself. After a moment, he lowered his face to her neck, and sunk his fangs into the girl's flesh.

And so the screaming began.

X O X O X

"Jasper!"

He was at his wife's side in an instant, staring into her wide, black eyes. The female couldn't believe what she had just seen. It had to be a mistake. It had to be. She had to call Edward right away, before he did something incredibly stupid.

"She's alive." She whispered.

"Who?"

"Who do you think?" she snapped angrily. "Bella!"

Jasper was confused. "That's a good thing." He blinked. "Why are you so worried?"

"Bella wasn't the only one in my vision." She stood in an inhumanly fast movement, and Jasper followed her into the kitchen. She yanked the phone off the hook.

"What is going on, Alice?" Jasper asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Edward," she said, dialing a number rapidly. "He's going to Italy."

X O X O X O

Every single warehouse in Port Angeles had been torn through, and there had not been a trace of his Isabella. Not even her scent lingered. The most intense pain imaginable crushed down upon him as he realized what that had meant. She was gone. Those monsters had killed her, and fled to God-knows-where. He had lost the game, and lost his love.

"Where is your final destination, sir?" The receptionist behind the ticket desk asked the beautiful boy, pulling him out of his trance-like state.

He blinked a few times, bringing himself back to reality. "Italy," he answered, "I'm going to Italy." He slipped her a credit card, and mused at the irony of her word choice. His final destination . . . yes, Italy was most certainly his final destination.

What other choice did he have? He certainly couldn't go on without her. What was his life without his light, his Bella? He knew that his only available choice was to go to the Volturi, ask them to end the pain. There was no other option.

He would be with his Bella soon; or so he thought.


	9. Chapter 8: Flight Plan

_The time for sleep is now  
It's nothing to cry about  
Cause we'll hold each other soon  
The blackest of rooms_

"Dammit, Edward," Alice cursed at the dial tone, "Pick up your phone." Her fingernails tapped melodically on the dining room table.

"He's not going to see reason." Rosalie took a seat by her sister. "We have to go down to the airport and drag him home ourselves."

Alice growled and slammed the phone down on the table. "We don't have time to do that!" Her voice traveled up a few octaves. "He might have already done it!"

Rosalie knew exactly what her sister was talking about. "Isn't that what we want?" she asked, her eyes traveling to the table. "Haven't we been attempting to convince our brother to change her since the day he met her?"

Alice sighed. "Yes," she allowed. "But that's exactly it. We've been convincing _him_ to do it. She's in the hands of a stranger, a human drinking stranger no less! And what if Laurent loses control?"

"Try his number again." Rosalie changed the subject. She'd rather keep her opinions of Bella's demise to herself. She didn't need to argue with Alice. That wouldn't do any good.

Alice did as she was told and dialed the number.

_How could he do this? _Rosalie asked herself. How could he do this to his family? Did he think that they would actually understand his foolish actions? Rosalie couldn't fathom his reasoning at all. How _dare_ he do this to her? Did he think that she _wanted_ to lose her brother? Did he expect her to be okay with this?

After all, _she_ was what mattered, right? Never mind his feelings, his heartache. Remember readers, this is Rosalie we are talking about. Miss Queen-of-the-World's mind is stuck on the Rosalie channel; all Rosalie, all the time. Someone needed to get this girl a remote control and a reality check.

Why would he do that over some insignificant little girl? She simply didn't understand. He was merely infatuated with her. He could easily find another pathetic human to obsess over. There were plenty of clumsy girls in Forks. _What is so important about this one girl? Why is this mere obsession so God damn important to him?_

What she and Emmett had was love. The moment she found him and the bear, she knew that she couldn't let him die. She knew it right away. _That is what true love is._ She saw something in his eyes that day. She knew that she would rather hurt herself before she hurt him, and if something did ever happened to him she also knew that she would . . . _Oh!_

_Ding, ding_! Cue the light bulb.

Perhaps he truly _did_ love her. Maybe she was more than simple fascination.

Her fist hit the wooden table, creating a loud crash. How could she be so wrong? How could she not see it? Edward truly loved that girl. He loved her so much that he was willing to end his life because he believed he lost her. How could she have been so blind?

Alice groaned. "He won't answer."

"Get in the car," Rosalie demanded. "We're going to the airport."

Their brother would not die; not until she apologized. Rosalie wouldn't allow it. She was selfish that way.

X O X O X O X

The cries of pain filled the abandoned hotel building. Victoria thought her plan was rather clever. All she had to do was send the Cullens on a wild goose chase. They would never find her hideaway if Laurent kept sending images of warehouses. She was brilliant, if she did say so herself. (Which she did, might I add.)

The screaming, however, was beginning to irritate the female. She paced the lobby as she awaited Edward's arrival. James stood patiently against a wall in the back of the foyer.

"He will come," James promised. "He will burst through those doors the moment he realizes that his Bella has been spared." He grinned wickedly. "Then we get to have our fun."

Victoria sighed. "And how do you know that he won't get here too early?" she asked. "If he gets here before the three days are over . . . . ,"

"Laurent will hide her." James crossed the room quickly, moving to stand behind his wife. His hands fell to her shoulders. "Relax, my sweet. All will work out exactly how we planned."

"The plane ride will take how long?" She asked, not losing any of her tension. "They may be all the way across the country, but that doesn't mean that they won't be early."

"They will be flying for five hours," he replied. "The first day is almost over, the sun is setting now. By the time that they take off, it will be early into the second day. When they arrive into town, the day will be ending."

"Exactly," Victoria interrupted, "They will arrive before the third day!"

"Don't be hasty." He squeezed her shoulders. "They must find the hideout first, remember? We chose this abandoned place for a reason, you know. They won't be able to even get to the exit without first driving down a deserted road for an hour!" He spun Victoria to face him, and she seemed more relaxed. "Not only that, but the transformation never takes exactly three days. You know that. She will be fully transformed around noon. Edward most likely won't arrive until twilight."

"I hope you're right." Victoria sighed.

James kissed his love's forehead. "I _am_ right."

The peaceful moment was broken by more screams. It was going to be a long three days for everyone involved in the horrible ordeal.

X O X O X O

The pain spread through Bella's veins like wildfire. Laurent hadn't left his friend's side all day, watching her ache, and attempting to find some way to dull the 'fire' she kept screaming about. Laurent remembered his own transformation. He hadn't wanted to be alone through his, and he was sure that Bella wouldn't want to be either.

Bella felt as if she had been set on fire. Everything in her entire body ached. The only thing she was conscious of was the pain moving through her veins, occasionally intensifying as if someone was throwing gasoline on the blaze.

From time to time, she would feel a cold, light pressure on her hand. She couldn't imagine what it could be at first, but after a while she realized that it was Laurent, reminding her that he was still there, tightening the grip on their entwined hands. (A grip that she wasn't even aware of at first, either.)

"It burns," she whimpered.

"I know Bella," he frowned. "But you can't say that I didn't warn you. I told you that it would hurt like hell."

Her response was another scream of pain as another wave of flames ripped through her. Laurent could only squeeze her hand.

"Think of Edward."

"Edward," she whispered.

He smiled softly. "You'll see him soon."

X O X O X O

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen," a beautiful blonde female snapped. She grabbed her brother's arm in her marble grip, and yanked him out of his chair. "How _dare_ you?"

"Rosalie," the male objected, his voice much weaker than either of the females expected it to be. They were used to deep velvet. "What are you doing here?"

"We're here to stop you from making the biggest mistake possible," the pixie-like sister replied, taking his other arm, prepared to drag him away from his gate if necessary. "I was wrong, Edward. I was so wrong, and I feel horrid about it. But you have to come with us right away."

"I'm not coming with you." Edward refused to move.

Rosalie snarled. "Edward Cullen, don't you _dare_ get all masochistic, self-blaming, selfish _bastard _on me now." She was obviously livid. "Did you hear one word out of Alice's mouth? She was _wrong._"

"Wrong about what?" Edward was confused.

Alice sighed. "She's alive, Edward," she started gently pulling her brother. "Someone has been blocking her from me, but I can see her now. I was wrong about everything. She's alive, but not for long. We need to get on a plane to New York right away. There isn't much time." Her words came out in a rush, and she hoped that Edward caught it all.

The bronze-haired one blinked, staring at his tiny sister. He searched her mind, as well as Rosalie's. He looked for anything that could have possibly meant she was lying. But there was nothing but pure honesty in both of their minds, save for Rosalie's obvious anger with him.

"She's alive?" He breathed. The relief and shock was completely obvious in his tone. As soon as it sank in, his mind went into overdrive. "Where is she? Is she hurt? What are they planning? What is she –,"

"We don't have time," Alice snapped, pulling her brother more fiercely. "I'll explain on the plane."

Rosalie nodded. "I need to go back home," she said, dropping her brother's arm. "Someone needs to explain all this nonsense to the family."

"Good idea," Alice agreed.

Edward smiled softly. "Thank you, Rose."

A pale hand immediately slapped his face with a loud 'smack.' Edward's eyes widened, and his hand flew to where Rosalie had struck him.

"That, dear brother, is for scaring the living _shit_ out of me."

Edward couldn't help but chuckle. "I love you too, Rose."

"Don't you _ever_ do that again." She demanded. "And you're welcome."

Rosalie spun on her heel, and bounded off towards the exit. Edward and Alice didn't even bother to watch her go. They were instantly darting off, only as fast as humanly possible, to the New York terminal, their tickets held tightly in Alice's hand.

Thank God for online ticket printing. They didn't have to wait in line. They only had to sit in the gate area for a half hour or so.

_I'm coming Bella,_ Edward thought, as if she could actually hear him. _Don't give up darling. I'm on my way._

X O X O X O

"I won't," Bella whimpered, and Laurent squeezed her hand again.

Laurent was confused. "Won't what?"

"Give up," Bella rasped. "Edward is coming. I know it."

_If Heaven and Hell decide  
That they both are satisfied  
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs  
If there's no one beside you  
When your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark_


	10. Chapter 9: Divine

yet another one of my chapters that i'm not a fan of. blechhh. maybe it's just because i'm not used to the third person. -shrug-

i was thinking about something the other day. i have my new story started, the one i'm posting on my new penname. i already have a chapter done, and the preface. now, i won't be beginning to post it until mid-June, but if people say they want me to, i just might post the preface. you know, like a teaser. or maybe i'll just post a little piece of it, like Stephenie did for Eclipse, with a summary. i dunno, i just really want people to see that i'm not dead. what do you think?

i lost quite a few readers because i went on hiatus. but you know what? i don't care. if they're going to shun me because i have a life, that's their problem. thank you so much to those of you who understand and stick around. your feedback means a lot.

* * *

Edward buckled his seatbelt, just as the captain requested through the intercom, as the plane prepared for takeoff. He stared out the window, eventually watching the ground get further and further away. His eyes shifted to his sister, who was concentrating on the future.

She was no longer seeing any future involving Bella, or her enemies. Thanks to the convincing from Alice, Edward strongly believed in their new theory. Someone was blocking them. He would kill whoever was shielding Bella from his sister's eyes. How dare he make him believe his Bella was dead?

"It's later," Edward announced, anxious. "You said that you would explain what you saw about Bella on the flight."

Alice sighed. She had already decided that she wouldn't tell Edward the whole truth of what she saw. She didn't need him freaking out and giving up hope. He couldn't know that his Bella was being transformed into one of them as the seconds ticked by. He most definitely didn't need to know about the risk of Laurent losing control.

She was _really_ glad that she had decided all of that when she was at home, where Edward couldn't hear her thoughts and ruin her plan.

"I saw her in a hotel room in New York," she whispered truthfully. "She was talking to Laurent, and Victoria and James were chattering on about how lucky they were that they chose the abandoned hotel that they did. Thanks to them, I know exactly where they are."

"Why do you think James or Laurent let us see them?" Edward asked. His voice reflected his sister's quiet tone, God forbid someone overheard their conversation. "Why would they want us to find them?"

"I don't think it was intentional," Alice admitted. "I think Laurent slipped up. He might have let down the barrier down by mistake," _while he was too concentrated on not sucking Bella dry. _She winced.

"What?" Edward whisper-yelled.

_Oops. _"He's used to drinking from humans, Edward," Alice quickly recovered herself. "All that I meant was that she might be a little tempting to him."

"If he hurts her . . . . ," Edward growled, much too loudly. Several people turned in his direction, shocked expressions adorning their plain faces. Edward snapped his head towards the onlookers, threatening them with his midnight eyes. The nosey humans immediately went back to their own business, and Edward cursed under his breath.

"Relax, Edward." Alice sighed, ignoring the attention her brother had awarded them. "From what I can see, Laurent has been nothing but good to our Bella. I doubt that will change."

"It better not," Edward hissed.

Alice put a hand on her brother's shoulder. "All will be fine, Edward," she promised. "Bella is not going to be harmed. I won't allow it."

"Four more hours," Edward sighed.

- - - - - - - - -

"It's almost over now," Laurent said, squeezing Bella's hand as another scream filled the room. "Only a few more hours and you'll only have one day left."

Bella only whimpered in response, the fire never ceasing.

"Try to sleep, Bella," Laurent told her. "Let yourself sleep. It will help."

Bella glared at him through the pain, "You expect me to," she gasped as the fire momentarily intensified, "sleep through _this?_"

"Yes," he replied. "It won't be as painful if you sleep. You won't be conscious of the pain."

"I can't," she breathed.

Laurent sighed. "Try."

Two hours passed with no success, but eventually, Bella found herself giving into unconsciousness.

- - - - - - - - -

"How long is this road?" Edward asked rhetorically. His voice was strained, as he was becoming more frustrated by the second.

"Just wait for the exit." Alice's voice was much calmer. Now, she was no less stressed then her brother, she was just better at hiding it. "We're almost there."

Edward pressed harder on the gas pedal, increasing the speed of the rental car to a hundred miles an hour. He longed to go faster but he wasn't sure if the car would be able to take the speed. His Volvo could only go at such high speeds because of Rosalie's handy work.

"She'll be okay," Alice said evenly. "We're going to save her, Edward."

"We better," was his quiet reply.

Alice's eyes widened. "Turn!" She shouted.

Edward complied and made the exit. He took a deep breath. They were almost to Bella. In anticipation, he pressed the gas a little further.

- - - - - - - - -

_You shouldn't want to trust me,_

_While we're dancing on this ledge_

_For it would be because of me,_

_If we fell over the edge_

She was standing on the ledge of a cliff, her toes dangling over the edge. Her eyes fearfully darted to the rocks below her. Cold hands grabbed her waist and pulled her away from the ledge, and her fear immediately subsided. Isabella could fear nothing as long as Edward was there.

His hands held hers as he spun her to face him, their eyes locking. He stepped forward, and she stepped back, and before Bella knew it, the two of them were dancing. His strong arms held her closely as they moved to the rhythm of her erratic heartbeat.

Edward's marble grip wouldn't loosen as he held her waist, and dipped her. She shrieked as her hair dangled over the edge, and she couldn't help the startling fear of plummeting off the cliff. Instantly, Edward pulled her back to his chest, and she held on to him for dear life.

"I will _never_ let you fall," he whispered.

Of course, on their next step, Bella had to find a way to turn her beautiful dream into a horrid nightmare. Her heel went too far over the edge, and she felt herself falling backwards. Edward's movements were fast enough to catch her, but not quick enough to stop the two of them from falling to the rocks below.

Sharp pain erupted in Bella's chest, and she cried out in surprise. Her vision faded until all she could see was complete blackness. From then on she could no longer see, only hear.

Distantly, she heard voices calling out to her; two voices, to be specific. It was a shame that she couldn't make out either one of them. The only sounds she could distinguish were the sounds of her labored breathing and thundering heart.

She screamed again as her heart thumped in her chest, much faster than normal. She felt as if her chest was about to explode. A piercing scream filled the air, and she realized that it was her own, yet again.

Heat returned to her veins, as she felt herself burst into flames. A small piece of her knew that she was only dreaming, and the fire was the pain from Laurent's bite, but she was too busy screaming to rationalize. With the fire burning and her heart beating overtime, it was hard to think about anything but the pain.

Things took a sudden change then. Her heart slowed. Each beat felt as if it was taking every ounce of energy she had left. Moments later, her heart sputtered, and then suddenly, she felt it stop.

Bella's crimson eyes snapped open.


	11. Chapter 10: Illusion

This chapter was supposed to be out on Sunday, but just as I went to post it, the site went down. They must have been working on the server. You guys got lucky because I'm sick today. If I wasn't home alone and able to sneak on just to post this, you guys would have to wait until Friday.

Huge thanks to Inky. Yay for Inky writing pieces when I get stuck! The ending of this chapter would totally suck without her. Thanks Ink.

* * *

Bella sat up in an inhumanly fast movement, her hand flying to her still heart. Her breathing was heavy, although it was not at all necessary. Bella's eyes scanned the bedroom, her mind running on overdrive. She gasped when she realized what had happened. And then, slowly, the female's lips spread to reveal a grin.

"Good morning, sunshine," a voice said.

Her bright red eyes shifted to see Laurent sitting cross-legged beside her, a smirk adorning his perfectly set lips. He chuckled at her excited expression.

"Welcome, Isabella, to the life of the undead." His voice was abnormally cheerful. "How do you feel?"

She looked around the room, trying to find the proper answer to his question. She noticed the color change of the walls and carpet. The blue was brighter; more vivid. The room was colder, a product of her now frigid skin. The temperature wasn't uncomfortable for her. On the contrary, it was the opposite.

"I feel," she said, searching for the right word, "different."

Laurent chuckled. "That's typical," he said. Then his brows pulled together, and he cocked his head to the side. "Do you feel . . . thirsty, at all?"

"What does thirsty _feel_ like, exactly?" Bella blinked.

Laurent barked a laugh. "Obviously not how you're feeling," he said. "There's no mistaking thirst. When you feel it, you know it." He noted the worried expression on Bella's face, and added, "Don't worry. You're body is running on the blood still left in your system. It's perfectly normal for you to wake up this way." His brows puckered again, "But be warned, newborn vampires are unusually thirsty their first year. Once the thirst kicks in, you'll need Edward with you at all times to keep you from going savage."

"Speaking of," Bella said, cheering at the sound of her love's name. "When _will_ I get to see Edward again?"

Laurent chuckled. "He'll be here soon," he replied with a nod. "James and Victoria must give you a grand entrance first, of course."

"What do you mean by that, exactly?" If possible, Bella's face paled. The torture wasn't over for Edward, not yet. "What are they planning?"

The male frowned. "I'm not entirely positive," he said truthfully. "I haven't left this room in three days." He sighed. "All I know is that they're planning on messing with Edward a little bit."

"By a little bit you mean . . . ,"

"A whole lot," Laurent winced.

Bella sighed loudly. "Oh, joy."

x - - - - - - - - x

"Edward, you've lost your mind." Alice folded her arms over her chest. "There's no way in hell I'm letting you go in there alone."

Edward rolled his onyx eyes. "Alice, don't be so melodramatic, please." He placed his marble hands on her shoulders, and lowered his face to hers. "I'm going to be fine. I just need to do this alone. I can't have you go in there and endanger your life any further." He sighed. "Besides, Jasper would kill me if anything happened to you."

Edward would kill himself first, actually. He would never be able to live with himself if anything happened to his kid sister because of him. Not only that, but if they were too late, and Bella was already gone, he didn't plan on ever coming out of that building. He knew Alice wouldn't allow that. So, he had to leave her behind.

"Now who's being melodramatic?" she snapped.

Edward sighed. "Go sightseeing or something," he said, "You haven't been to New York City in a long time. Go shopping in Manhattan. Enjoy yourself."

"But Edward!" she objected.

"Just go," he repeated. "If you see anything, you can just drive right back here." He shrugged. "At your speed it'll take you, what, ten minutes?"

Alice sighed. "Fine," she huffed. "But if I see one thing that gives me any sort of worry, I'm coming right back here."

"Good girl," he kissed her forehead and dropped his arms. "Be safe." He added seriously.

Alice pouted. "You too," she muttered.

She watched her brother turn around and head inside the hotel. The doors should have been locked, but James and Victoria had managed to pick the lock. He swung the doors open and stormed inside.

There she was; his angel. Bella had never looked so frail. Her humanity, her clumsiness, it was nothing compared to how weak she looked that very moment. She was lying on the cold ground, her skin as white as a ghost's; as white as his. Edward' onyx eyes widened. He was unable to believe the sight before him.

His heart clenched, his unnecessary breath hitching in his chest. No! This wasn't supposed to happen! Not her, not Bella! Take anyone else! Take anyone but her!

"No!" Edward roared, dashing to her side. He fell to his knees beside her, hands shaking as he pulled her cold body to his chest. He tried putting his thoughts into words, but all that would come from his mouth was _'no, no, no'_.

There were no traces of her breath. He heard no heartbeat. She was dead. Bella was dead. His Bella, his only hope for any goodness in his existence, was gone. She was dead. She was dead. She was dead.

His body was shaking as he held her, unable to control his tearless sobs. He had been too late. The cries wracked his body, and he could feel her blood dampening his skin, seeping through his shirt. But he didn't care. He only wanted her back.

The blood was cold, not at all tempting to the beast inside of him. And even if it were, not even that monster could break through his heart ache and anguish. Nothing could force him to hurt him any further. Not as if he could anyway.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Isabella, I'm so sorry."

She didn't respond. Of course she didn't respond! She was dead! Edward just held her tighter, his bloody hands brushing through her mangled hair. He had loved her, and he had risked her life because of it. How could he have been so dense? If he really loved her, he would have stayed away.

He kissed her forehead, and laid her back down on the floor. He looked down at his hands and shirt. Blood stained his pale skin. Her blood. It could easily be washed off, but the blood would stain his clothing forever. She would always stain his heart, too.

"I will always love you, Bella." He said, tracing her jaw-line with his fingers for the last time. A sob escaped his lips again when he realized that it would indeed be the last time.

"Hello, Edward." A new voice said from the other side of the room. Edward rose, and looked the crimson eyed hunter in the eyes. He was going to die next. He knew it.

"James," he growled.

The male before him grinned. "I'm so sorry about this," he said. "You know, I couldn't let you get away with killing me. You can't get away with murder all the time, you know."

"You're right," Edward snarled. "You can't."

He moved to pounce at James, when suddenly, Bella's body disappeared, as did the blood on his own clothing. His eyes widened, and he stumbled back.

James cackled. "Surprise!"

"What have you done with her?" Edward roared.

"Oh, I haven't told you about my power yet, have I?" James grinned wickedly. "You see Edward, I can create illusions." His smile widened.

"I can make you see your greatest desire," James continued. And as he said it, Edward saw Bella walk down the stairs behind James, a radiant smile on her lips. She wore a beautiful white dress, a veil over her chocolate brown curls. Edward smiled at the sight, and James laughed.

"Or," he went on, "Your worst nightmare."

Instantly, Bella faded, the beautiful woman replaced with Laurent, cradling an unconscious Bella in his arms. His sharp teeth sunk into her neck.

"NO!" Edward roared, his voice echoing off of the gray stone walls.

The illusion disappeared in an instant, and Edward growled. Victoria came trotting down the stairs then, and James' arm was instantly around her waist.

"How does it feel?" Victoria asked, smirking. "How does it feel to wonder, to not know exactly where the one you love is?" Her voice was teasing. "To wonder if she's even alive?"

"That's what the best part of all of this is," James smirked evilly. "You have no idea what condition Bella is really in. You have no idea if she's alive or dead, possibly unconscious, in tumultuous pain –"

"You sick BASTARD!" Edward yelled, flying across the room, his hands wrapping around James's pale neck as the two slammed backward into the wall. James's head snapped backward, cracking loudly as it made contact with the hard wall.

Edward pulled James forward a bit to slam him backward into the wall again, but was stopped as a pair of cold, slender hands jerked him away from James, spinning him around until he was pressed against the cold, sharp metalwork of the staircase's metal railing. Edward gasped in pain as Victoria pushed him further into the pointed metal.

"How do you like it now?" she hissed maliciously. "Do you wish you hadn't taken James from me now, Edward?" Her eyes were mere centimeters from his as she leaned into him, the front of his shirt clutched in her white fists.

Edward leaned his head backward slightly, and groaned. _'Why are these people so obsessed with revenge?'_ he thought. "Where's Bella?" he asked, his voice thick with pain.

"Wrong answer," Victoria whispered, and pushed him further backward.

Edward closed his eyes, wishing she'd get on with it. He'd see Bella soon enough. Her face broke into his thoughts, filled his mind. He could almost hear her voice - wait. That WAS her voice. His eyes snapped open, just in time to see a black-clad blur smash into Victoria, knocking her sideways onto the floor.

The blur landed on top of Victoria, intent on only causing her as much agony as possible with her fists, cursing vehemently under her breath.

"Bella?" Edward asked, eyes wide.

Then the punching stopped.

"Edward?" she asked, shocked.

"I'm here, Bella."

She rocketed into his arms, and he snaked them around her waist, holding her as close as possible, knowing that may very well have been the only reunion they would get.

She looked into his face, and he pressed his marble lips to hers.

"I'm sorry to break up this little love fest, but I'm afraid we have some unattended business to attend to."


	12. Chapter 11: As Long as You're Mine

**When I finished this chapter I realized something. I didn't even know it until I edited the chapter. Guess what I realized. Go ahead, guess. **

**You think you got it? Well. What I realized, is that there's only one chapter after this one here, and then Grim Goodbye is over. (Well, there's going to be an epilogue, but that doesn't count)**

**Here we go, guys, the second to last chapter.**

Edward was instantly on his feet, and he pulled Bella behind him. A low growl formed in the male's chest, and Bella's pale hand gently ran up and down his spine in a vain attempt to calm him. She did manage to loosen his stance however, calming his tense posture.

"How adorable," James mocked. "The happy couple, together again." He stepped forward, and in an instant, he was about two feet from the pair. "It's such a shame that it won't be for long."

A growl filled the air, and Bella stepped out from behind her protector. Her bold moves shocked everyone, including herself. She shook it off however, and used her sudden burst of bravery to defend Edward for a change.

"You will not harm him," she hissed. "Never again." Her eyes traveled to Victoria, who was finally finding her legs, and rising from her sprawled out position on the old carpet.

"Oh," the red-head chimed, instantly falling back into her spiteful tone. She took her place next to James. "Isabella is trying to protect him. How sweet."

"I believe," Bella sneered, "we had a deal."

Edward raised his eyebrows. "You made a deal with _them?_" He said the word as if it sickened him, which, in reality, it did.

"She did," a familiar deep, smooth voice piped as Laurent stood beside Bella. His lips curled back into a quiet snarl, and he added, "And I am a man of my word."

Edward pulled Bella closer, and she shot him a look that said, 'it's okay'. Edward returned her glance with one of his own, questioning her judgment. This didn't surprise Bella any, and, she tried again to hush him, the female's hand wound around his waist. "It's okay," she reiterated, aloud this time. Edward said nothing more on the subject, not yet.

"Last time I checked," Laurent smirked as he addressed James, completely oblivious to the couple's exchange, "you were as well." His eyes danced with amusement. "I guess you truly _are _whipped."

"What, exactly, was this deal?" Edward asked, his arms remaining tightly around Bella. His "gift" was getting him nowhere. _So much for mind-reading being useful_, he sighed. James, Victoria, and Laurent were thinking nothing of the agreement, or what they were planning on doing next. He couldn't help but wonder if it was because they knew of his powers.

"We gave the option of death or immortality," Laurent replied, folding his arms over his chest. "We told her that if she chose this life, she would be able to return to you. Bella can explain the gory details, if she wishes. I'd assume that she'd rather not." He smirked and turned to the other members of his coven. "Isabella and the boy . . . Edwin, is it?"

"Edward." The _"boy"_ corrected automatically.

"_Edward _and Isabella," Laurent continued, "are not to be harmed."

"Since when do we stick to our word?" Victoria snapped. "This . . . this trivial _girl_ almost caused me to lose James. Why would we let her just walk away?"

A door slammed behind James and Victoria.

"Because," a voice replied, "if she doesn't, you'll have _so_ much more to worry about then your petty revenge."

Bella and Edward both grinned.

"Alice," Bella breathed in relief.

_I told you that you were being idiotic, _Alice thought, looking at her brother.

Edward could only look smug as the rest of his family filed in behind Alice. Jasper walked up behind his wife, only to move so he was right beside her. Emmett, and all his burly glory, stood next to his smaller brother, looking very angry. Rosalie stood just behind her husband, her arms folded over her chest.

"Hey, guys," Edward grinned.

_Be glad that we jumped on the flight that took off directly after yours, _Jasper thought. _Carlisle thought it would be wise for us to follow you, in case you needed back up._

Of course, Emmett's thoughts were surrounded around the fight. He was debating what would be the best plan of attack. He did have a few choice words for his brother, though. I'll spare you the details on that particular train of thought.

_I'm still angry at you, _Rosalie glared at her brother._ And pulling this absurd stunt didn't help our shabby relationship at all. Emmett is about ready to kill you, too. _She smirked, almost enjoying this. _Esme is very disappointed in you, Eddie._

Edward groaned. _Great, juuust great, _he thought to no one.

Not waiting for any introduction, the Cullens launched themselves at James and Victoria. Immediately, Bella grabbed Laurent's wrist and yanked him behind her. She couldn't have anyone hurting him, not after everything he had done for her.

"I'll explain later," Bella grumbled, as Edward raised his eyebrows at her. "I have a lot to explain, for that matter."

"Yes," he agreed, sounding almost angry. "You do."

Bella looked away to hide her chagrin.

Suddenly, Alice's thoughts broke into Edward's. _Get her out of here,_ she warned. _Trust the psychic on this one. You don't want all this fuss over rescuing her to go to waste, do you?_

Without thinking about it, Edward instantly pulled Bella into his arms and sped away. He cradled her cold body to his, knowing very well that she could have run on her own. He shuddered at the thought. A piece of him was still in denial. How could she _choose_ this life? How could Bella, his sweet, innocent Bella, choose to throw away her humanity? Why would she want to become a soulless creature; a monster, like him?

Before Bella could realize what was happening, she saw trees flying past her at an immeasurably fast pace. She was surrounded by a blur of green, brown, and the black that was beginning to fill the sky. She held on tightly to Edward. He didn't seem to mind, but something was off. She could feel it in the way he held her. He was completely stiff. Did he wish that she hadn't been changed? Was he not looking forward to the beautiful eternity that she imagined?

Bella wasn't sure of how long they had been running, but eventually, they halted. She looked around, and came to the conclusion that they must have stopped at a park of some kind. She was surrounded by acres of grass, and behind her was what looked like a small forest. Edward set her down on a bench, and kneeled down on the pavement in front of her. She stared into his eyes for another infinite moment before he spoke.

"Why?" he breathed.

Bella blinked. "Why?" she asked. "Why what?"

"Why would you do this?" he asked. "How could you actually _choose_ for them to turn you into this," he sighed, "why would you _want _to be a monster?"

Bella gaped at him. "Edward, you're the furthest thing from a monster." A pale hand cupped his face. "I love you."

It was amazing how, even after hearing them several times, those three words made Edward feel as if his dead heart sputtered.

"Answer the question," he said, ignoring the urge to forget about everything and take her into his arms again. Oh, how he loved that girl. He wanted to pretend that the ordeal never happened, but due to the circumstances, that wasn't at all possible.

"I didn't want to leave you." Bella dropped her hand from his face and looked down, ashamed. "I was incredibly selfish, I know. But I couldn't stand the thought of leaving this world without you, without saying goodbye, at least. I love you far too much to let you go." She sighed. "I'm pathetic. I'd let them turn me into a donkey if it meant seeing you again."

Edward gaped at her. She didn't do this because she was afraid of death, or even James and Victoria themselves. She did it for him. He couldn't believe his ears. She left her humanity behind for him, only him. He didn't deserve that.

"I love you," she repeated. "Is it so wrong for me to want to spend forever with you?"

"I'm not worth that!" He snapped, backing away. Another one of his ridiculous mood swings was rearing its ugly head. "You left behind your family, your friends, your _humanity_, all because of me?" He was still shocked. "Bella, I'm not worth that."

"Yes you are!" Bella stood in an instant. "I didn't leave anything behind. I have you, and the rest of _our_ family. That's the only family I need!" She was shouting at him now. "And as for friends, you guys have that covered, too. Jess, Angela, _Mike_, they'll all survive without me. I don't need them when I have you and Alice."

"You're no longer human!" He said, probably a great deal louder then he should have. But, he honestly didn't care who heard. They probably would assume he was crazy and walk away. Besides, it was almost midnight. Who took midnight strolls in New Jersey parks? He shook his head. "You're a _vampire_, now. You left behind your humanity! Of all things!"

"Humanity that I didn't want in the first place! I was _willing_ to give it away." She sighed. "You're not understanding, Edward." She couldn't believe how honest, how unguarded, she was being. She wasn't even bothering to edit any longer. "I don't care about any of those things. I have _you_."

"What about your home?" He couldn't allow himself to believe it yet. She couldn't be willing to give everything up. He couldn't let himself hope that she truly wanted him forever. "You grew to love Forks. You can never go back again."

Bella rolled her eyes. "I never learned to love Forks until I loved you." She took both of his hands in hers. "You're my home, Edward. As long as you're mine, I'll be happy. I don't need anything but you. Please, Edward, grasp that." She squeezed his hands. "I love you. How many times do I have to say it?"

"Well," Edward looked down, and then glanced up at her through his dark lashes, grinning sheepishly. "Once more wouldn't hurt."

"I. Love. You." Bella smiled, too.

He kissed her then, pulling her what was once considered dangerously close. Bella kissed back, her fingers knotting in his bronze hair. Her unnecessary breath came out in a wild gasp, just like the first time that he kissed her, all that time ago, (well, five days ago, as far as Bella was concerned). However, this time, when Bella tried to deepen the kiss, Edward didn't feel the need to pull away. In fact, not only did he allow it, but he encouraged her, pulling her closer to him.

Finally, he could truly be with her, kiss her the way she deserved to, be close to her like he couldn't before. Maybe this whole vampire thing wasn't so bad after all. Okay, so maybe it was, but Bella no longer tempting his blood lust was most definitely a perk.

When Edward finally pulled away, he grinned. "I love you, too," he said. Bella only smiled and stood on her toes to press her lips to his once more.

_Every moment,  
__As long as you're mine,  
__Come be how you want to,  
__And see how bright we shine_

_Borrow the moonlight,  
__Until it is through,  
__And now, I'll be here, holding you,  
__As long as you're mine_


	13. Chapter 12: Facade

_You should listen to this story of a life  
You're my heroine  
__in this moment I'm lonely fulfilling my darkest dreams._

The scent of fire filled the air, caused by the inky puffs of smoke rising to the sky as the dancing orange flames spread throughout the entire hotel. Silhouettes of five figures were cast on the black asphalt as the Cullen siblings (and Laurent) watched the building crumble before them.

"I don't believe I ever properly thanked you," Alice said, turning to the dark haired male standing on one side of her. "You saved Bella, and we are all forever grateful for that."

Laurent shrugged. "You don't have to be," he said. "I saved your sister, and you saved me from having to endure any more of James and Victoria." He smirked. "Trust me, we're even."

"Even so," Rosalie persisted. "You really didn't have to. And on behalf of both Edward and Bella, we really just want to thank you. Just be gracious, and accept it already."

Laurent chuckled and ran a hand through his shaggy black hair. "Well. You're welcome, then." He smirked. "Happy now, princess?"

"Yes, _thank you_," Rosalie retorted sarcastically.

"You're _welcome_." Laurent grinned back.

Emmett chuckled and, almost possessively, put an arm around his wife. The conversation was getting a little too flirtatious for his taste and he took the moment to jump in.

"What, may I ask, made you want to save Bella anyway?" Emmett asked, "Not that I'm complaining, but, what is she to you?"

Rosalie smacked his arm.

"She was just a girl who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I hated James and his annoying wife." He shrugged, as if that explained it all. "Bella did nothing to deserve what happened to her. Whose life do you think I would save? The girl's or the two royal pains who have attempted to run my life for the past few years?"

Jasper nodded in understanding. "Well," he said, "I guess we're pretty lucky that you chose Bella." He frowned. "I don't think Edward would have survived if anything happened to that girl."

"No," an approaching voice replied. "I don't think he would have, either." Edward came up from behind the group, Bella still in his arms from the run. He put her back on her feet, but kept his arm around her waist. The girl only smiled sheepishly.

Alice grinned and immediately embraced the two. Her pale arms wrapped around both her brother and newfound sister. Pulling away, she looked at Bella, a fond smile on her face.

"Welcome to the family, Bella." She said.

"Yeah," Emmett said, "And it's about freakin' time, too." He grinned, and Bella chuckled. Edward glowered at him, but his burly brother didn't seem to mind. He ignored his glares and gave Bella a huge hug that would have crushed her, had she been human.

Jasper gave Bella a hug too; a much smaller, and slightly awkward one. He smiled sweetly at her, and she grinned in response. She couldn't believe she was being accepted so quickly.

Rosalie approached her new sister last. She looked down at the floor for a moment, and then into Bella's dark red eyes. "I'm glad you're safe, Bella," she said. "I know I haven't exactly been welcoming until now, and I'm sorry. It's obvious how much you care for my brother, and I hope that you'll forgive me for disrespecting you as I did. I should have been more optimistic about you from the beginning."

"Of course Rosalie," Bella said meekly. Sister or no sister, she still intimidated her a little bit. "It's all in the past, now. Don't worry about it." She smiled. "It's like you said. We're family."

"I'm glad you got your family back," Laurent said, "but I think I'm going to take off now. It's about time I go find my own life, now that James and Victoria are gone." He turned to walk away, but Bella grabbed his arm.

"Wait," she said.

Laurent turned to face Bella, and she stood on her tip-toes to give him a big hug. He smiled as he embraced her and they stayed that way for a minute, until Bella pulled away.

"Thank you." she smiled. "Thank you so much for everything you've done. You risked your life to help me get back to Edward, and that means the world to me."

Laurent grinned. "No problem, Bella. You don't have to thank me." He chuckled. "Your family took care of that for ya." He winked at Rosalie, and she chuckled. Emmett growled under his breath. "It was no problem at all. It was a pleasure to hold you hostage." He chuckled at their inside joke.

Bella laughed. "Hey, I take great pride in that," she said. "Now, next time you're holding a poor girl hostage, you'll think, 'Gee, she's great, but she's no Bella.' "

Laurent smirked. "Yes, that's exactly what I'll be thinking." He gave her another quick hug. "I'll see you around, Bell."

"Will I see you again?" she asked quickly.

Laurent shrugged. "Who knows," he replied. "But we have eternity to find out, don't we?"

In an instant, he was gone.

"What was that last bit about?" Edward asked, wrapping his arms around Bella while still standing behind her. She leaned into him, and he held her tighter.

"Oh, nothing," she said, spinning around to hide her face in his neck. "It's a long story."

"I've got time," Edward said.

Bella lifted her head to see him smiling. She chuckled and pulled away, releasing all but his hand. "Alright," she said, beginning to walk towards the rental car. "I'll tell you on the way."

"Right," he said, his smile widening into a grin. "Let's go _home_."

- - - - -

Choosing a way home proved to be difficult. Everyone knew that Bella wouldn't be able to ride on a plane, with so many humans, even though her body was still surviving off her own blood. She would instantly grow thirsty if she was around humans, and they all knew it. That meant a train was out, too. Driving home on their own seemed to be the only option.

With a speed-demon vampire driving, they could easily make the cross-country trip in two days. And since they borrowed the car from a large chain, they could return the rental at a dealership in Seattle. Because of those advantages, and because they had no other choice, the Cullens resolved that they would drive home to Forks, where they would have to pack and leave again. They knew they would have to fake Bella's death, but they hadn't broken the news to her quite yet.

Because of this, the Cullen siblings decided that it would be best if Edward and Bella took the rental car, and went ahead of them. (Rosalie suggested that they deserved to be alone for a while. They needed some privacy, she said.) Everyone agreed, and decided that the others would pick up their own car in the morning and leave for Forks then.

They had been driving, not talking, for about an hour before Edward finally decided to speak. He sighed and turned the dial on the radio, lowering the volume to almost mute. The alternative rock music stopped, and Bella turned her head to see Edward frowning at her.

"Bella," he said, "There are a few things I have to discuss with you."

"What's wrong, Edward?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. She tried to hide her fear. It's never good news when your boyfriend says, 'we need to talk.' She didn't have much romantic experience, but she knew _that_.

"We can't stay in Forks," he said. "Not only must you avoid humans, but the changes in you are obvious. People will notice."

Bella nodded. "I know that," she said, relieved. "I have no problem with leaving. I told you that. Why are you acting so worried?"

"We'll have to fake your death." Edward turned his head then, finally looking at her face. He instantly regretted it. She looked completely horror-stricken. "It's the only way to explain your sudden disappearance," he tried. "We can't have you just vanishing out of the blue. We have to show enough evidence so they don't start an investigation."

Bella only said one word. "Charlie."

"I know," Edward frowned, turning back to the road. "I'm so sorry, Bella. This is exactly why I didn't want you to be changed in the first place. You'll have to hurt everyone that loves you."

"Except you."

Edward almost smiled. "Yes, except for me."

"Isn't there another way?" Bella pleaded. "Maybe we could come up with another excuse. People run away from home all the time!"

"Perfectly happy teens living with their doting father don't run away." Edward sighed. "If you were, for example, a troubled teen living with their drunken father in the city, then yes, that would be plausible."

Bella groaned. "I don't want to hurt Charlie like that," she said. "Are you positive that there is no other way?"

Edward thought for a moment. She couldn't just run away, that would be very uncharacteristic of Bella. She had already been missing for almost a week. The death excuse would be perfect! But she was right. That would kill Charlie. But what else could have happened?

If he could come up with a reason that she would want to run away; if there was some grand scheme, they could just leave. Just the two of them. The rest of the family could stay in Forks. They love that little town. They wouldn't want to leave anyway.

Both of them could pass as older than they were posing now. They could get their own house, put on the facade of a newlywed couple.

_Whoa, wait a second._

"Actually," Edward hedged. "There may be a way."

"How?" Bella asked quickly.

"We could say that we ran away together," he suggested. "You could leave a note, say that we eloped."

Bella's eyes widened. "Eloped?" she gaped at him. "Charlie would be so angry." She almost smiled, picturing his comically red face . . . almost.

"I think that he would rather being angry at you, then missing you." He turned his head again. "I'm sure anything is better then you being dead."

Bella blinked. He had a point.

"Well . . ." She bit her lip.

"We can move anywhere you want." Edward smiled. "We can get a house, we'll play the part of a newlywed couple. The others can stay in Forks for about a year, and then we'll all move and we can sign up for high school again. You do need to get your diploma, after all."

Bella looked out the window. "You'll have to write a letter too," She said slowly, "that way, Carlisle and Esme will look innocent in the whole thing. They'll have to act as surprised as Charlie."

Edward nodded. "Good idea," he agreed.

"They can stay in Forks for the remainder of the year," she said. "Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper will graduate, and Carlisle can say that Alice is going to a private school in Seattle for her senior year. He can tell them that she'll have more of an opportunity for a scholarship there, or something."

Edward grinned. "That's perfect," he said. "Brilliant." He couldn't believe that she was going to go for it. She would actually live alone with him, pretending to be _married_, no less.

Bella didn't reply. She continued to stare out the window, letting her mind wander. She imagined herself sitting with Edward on a front porch swing, the two of them holding each other and watching the sun set. She saw them together in front of a fireplace, letting the blaze warm their cold skin . . . .

What a dream life would be! The two of them had forever to just . . . be. They would talk about anything that crossed their minds, for as long as they wanted. Finally she could ask him all the questions that she still longed to ask! He would hold her close and she would tell him how much she loved him as they watched the sun rise at the beginning of every perfect day.

"Isabella," Edward said, pulling her from her reverie. She was about to inquire about his using of her full name, but he stopped her by asking, "Will you marry me?"

Bella gaped at him, too stunned to speak. After a moment, she realized that they had stopped. Edward had pulled the car over, and he was watching her carefully. He was trying to analyze her expression, but it was too hard with her.

"Let's not pretend." His butterscotch eyes smoldered hers, even in the dark. "Marry me, Bella. For real."

**So I changed my mind. There are several more chapters left; well, not too many, but this isn't the last one. XD**


	14. Chapter 13: In Fate's Hands

The girl froze; her crimson eyes wide and unblinking. She was sure that she heard him incorrectly. There was no way that Edward had just proposed to her . . . right? After all, she was only seventeen, for God's sake! Of course, she loved Edward with all her heart, but _marriage_? He had to be joking. She wasn't even a legal adult yet!

Bella couldn't help but think of her parents. They had loved each other so much. They were so much in love that they married when they were only nineteen, (two years older than she was at that very moment). But look at what marriage had done to them! It ruined them, completely destroyed their love. She couldn't let that happen to her and Edward. There was no way that he wanted that.

Edward resisted the urge to sigh. Was it really that difficult of a question? Could she honestly not see them together like that, forever? No, of course she could. There had to be another reason for her hesitation. She was the one who became immortal for him after all. She even said it herself. She wanted him for eternity. Why was making it official such an absurd thought? Oh, how he loathed that her mind was the only one hidden from him.

The two of them stared at the other expectantly. Edward was waiting for an answer, and Bella was expecting him to laugh and scream 'gotcha!' in her face.

"Okay," Bella said slowly. "What's the punch-line?"

"You're wounding my ego, Bella." He frowned slightly, and Bella's sharp eyes noticed, even in the dark. "I ask you to marry me and you think it's a joke."

"Edward, please be serious."

"I am one-hundred percent serious," he said, unblinking. "Think about it, Bella. You're the one who became immortal for me, remember?"

"Oh, c'mon Edward," she replied, her voice coming close to hysterics. "I'm only seventeen!"

"And you're going to be seventeen for the rest of eternity," Edward retorted. Bella froze again, and he reached out to her, taking her hands in his. "You chose this life with me. I know that you don't want to be with anyone else, and you know very well that my heart is yours for as long as you want it. You chose to be with me for the rest of time. Why is marrying me such a ridiculous concept?"

Bella sighed. "It's not," she said. "I'm just afraid. All I can think about is Charlie and Renee. Look at them now, Edward."

"This can't be about their approval," he raised his eyebrows. "Bella, have you forgotten that they're going to think that we eloped, no matter what?"

"No, no," Bella shook her head. "I'm talking about their marriage," she explained as she looked away. "They got married when they were only two years older than I am. Look at how that worked out for them. Marriage was pretty much the kiss of death in their relationship."

"Interesting choice of words,"

Bella sighed and lifted her head. "You know what I meant," she said, frustrated. "I just don't want to end up like them. I don't want _us_ to end like they did."

"We won't," Edward promised. "We're not like them. We're different, we're stronger. Look at Alice and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett, even Carlisle and Esme. They've been together for decades, even a century in the latter case."

"I can't, Edward, not now." She looked away again, avoiding his eyes. One look into those smoldering orbs and she would completely lose her confidence. She sighed and looked out the window as she added, "You just have to give me time."

Edward didn't say anything as he turned away and started the car. Bella found a little solace in the fact that one of his hands remained in hers though, as he pulled the car back onto the road and sped forward.

"I'm not saying no," she tried, speaking quickly, "just . . . not yet."

Again, Edward didn't speak, his face as hard as stone as he stared at the road in front of him. Bella bit her lip, and began tracing circles in his palm with her thumb; something she typically did to calm him. For a moment, Edward's eyes moved from the road to look at their entwined hands. He smiled a tiny smile before his gaze was back on the path ahead.

"I _do_ love you," Bella tried.

Edward lifted their hands and pressed his lips to her knuckles. "I know," he said. Bella smiled, relieved that he did, at least, know that. "I love you, too," he added.

With that, they sped home, the sun rising behind them.

- - - - - - -

Two days later, Charlie Swan pulled his front door open. It had been another typical day at work, searching for his Isabella. It had been a week since she had disappeared, and he was worried sick. How could something so terrible happen in such a small town? This was the kind of thing that happened in big cities and the occasional suburb. Things like this never happened in tiny towns like Forks.

He had picked up the mail on his way inside, and he dropped the stack of envelopes on the table as he kicked off his boots, just like his normal routine. One particular letter on top caught his eye, however. There was no return address, but in its place was a date, the date of the previous Monday.

Charlie assumed that whatever it was must have gotten lost in the mail. Either that or he hadn't been checking the mailbox as often as he usually did. Because of his stress over his daughter, it could have easily been the latter. Curious, he tore open the envelope, and pulled out the paper inside.

_Dad, _it said. Charlie's eyes about popped out of his head. This was clearly a letter from Bella. The handwriting was a little neater, but it was unmistakably his daughter's. He gripped the paper tightly and read on.

_I'm sure you're wondering why, instead of finding me cooking, you're finding this letter in the mail. Now, before you start the search parties, I need you to know that I am safe, and that no one has harmed me. I'm actually very happy, and I sincerely hope that you'll forgive me for putting you though this._

_I also need you to know that I didn't leave Forks because I was unhappy living here, or I don't like the town. I'll admit, when I moved to Forks, I wasn't so sure about how happy I would be in a town where the sun rarely comes out. After all, I had lived in Phoenix all my life. Clouds were something I would have to get used to. But, to my surprise, it wasn't so bad. I learned to call this place 'home.'_

_However, I really wasn't completely happy with Forks until I met Edward Cullen. Even with Mike, Jessica, and Angela, I had never known happiness here until I found him, my best friend. But he's so much more than that. I've fallen for him, and he feels the same for me. We love each other, and we know that there is no one else that we could ever want to be with._

_So, the two of us have eloped. I know, you're definitely not happy with me right now, and as a father, you probably have a few choice words for Edward. But he didn't force me into anything, I promise. I want this just as much as he does. You just have to trust us when we say that we know what we're doing. (Even though you probably find that hard to believe)_

_Edward's parents are going to receive a very similar letter, so you all can be very angry with the both of us together. Just remember that I love you too, alright?_

_I promise that I'll call as soon as I can._

_With all my love,  
__Bella Swan_

Charlie read the note several times to himself, completely blind sighted. How could Bella do this? Hadn't she seen what happened to her mother and him? Didn't she see how serious marriage was? She hadn't even finished a school year with him! How could she love him? She was only seventeen!

He should have known that something was going on when they were both declared missing. He had interviewed a few of Bella's classmates, and they had said that she and Edward had been seen together in school constantly. The word 'inseparable' was even used. How could he not have seen this?

Oh dear God, Renee was going to flip. He knew that much. He also knew that she would blame him somehow. She could almost hear her voice in his head, yelling at him. 'How could you let this happen?' She would say. But, he didn't really care about that. He only wanted his Bella to be safe, and happy.

Would she be happy with the Cullen boy? Charlie glanced at the phone. He could only wait to find out. After all, what could he do? They had already left.

In the meantime, he could get in touch with the doctor and his wife. He was curious as to what Edward had to say. Maybe he had given a little more insight into their departure.

He made his way to the kitchen and pulled the phone book from one of the top cabinets. By the time he had found 'Carlisle Cullen,' and was prepared to dial, there was a knock at the door.

When he opened the door and saw Carlisle and Esme waiting for him, he shook his head in disbelief. "You must have a psychic in your family," he said with a chuckle. "I was just about to call you."

Carlisle smiled as he and his wife walked in.

_You have no idea, _he thought.

- - - - - - - - - - -

After dropping off their goodbye letters, Edward and Bella took some things from their individual rooms, and packed them in bags. Bella had to be careful of what she took, being cautious as to not take anything that the chief would notice was gone.

That meant, Bella realized with despair, she would have to wait a while before she could get her favorite strawberry shampoo.

"Ready to go?" Edward asked, carefully climbing into Bella's bedroom window for the last time. He sighed and sat down in the rocking chair as he watched Bella zipper up her old camp bag.

Bella spun to face him and threw her duffel bag over her shoulder. "Yeah," she said. "I suppose that's everything," _except for my favorite shampoo._

Edward chuckled. "We'll get you some more once we get to Denali," he said. "It's not like they only sell it here." He grinned. "Besides, I like the way it smells, too."

Bella gaped at him. "You heard that?"

"I'm sorry, were you not speaking to me?" He raised his eyebrows jokingly.

"Edward," Bella said slowly. "I didn't say anything about my shampoo out loud." She stared at him, not even breathing. "You read my thoughts."


	15. Chapter 14: Run Away

alright guys. here it is. the real final chapter of _Grim Goodbye_. the epiolgue will be posted later in the week, if not later tonight.

thanks to Inky, Kayleigh, and Emile for their help and support for this story. i guess i might as well go ahead and dedicate this one to you guys. thanks so much.

* * *

"That's impossible." Edward gaped at the beautiful woman before him. "I've never been able to read your mind before." 

Bella shook her head. "I have no idea what happened," she said. "Maybe it has something to do with my gift?"

"Maybe," Edward said, thoughtful.

Bella made a face. "Well, that's lame," she complained. "My gift is to enhance yours? That's so not fair. I want a refund."

Edward snickered. "There's most likely more to it than that," he said, shaking his head. Bella shrugged and spun around to pick up a few things from her dresser. "There has to be conditions or something. After all, I haven't been able to read your mind the past few days in the car, or after we saved you from James," _no matter how convenient it would have been after my proposal. I thought those long pauses would be the death of me._

"I'm sorry Edward," Bella frownedpicking up her CDs and placing them in the proper cases to pack. "You know how much I love you. I'm just not ready to get married, not yet." She turned around to put the discs in the bag and saw Edward staring at her with wide eyes. Her jaw dropped in understanding. "You didn't say that out loud, did you?"

Edward blinked. "No, actually," he said slowly. "I didn't."

"Maybe this power isn't so bad after all." Bella grinned and lifted her bag from the bed. "You have to wait over a year to be able to get inside my head, and I'm a vampire for three days and I'm reading your thoughts." She giggled. "I really _am_ gifted."

Edward glared at her. "Don't be so sure," he said. "It's probably not as simple as it seems. Why is it just showing up now? If it was that uncomplicated, you would have been able to read my thoughts from the first day, and I would have heard yours when I first saw you alive."

"Wait," Bella said, biting her lip, a memory coming to her mind. "I'm not so sure I haven't read your mind before, or something to that extent."

"When has it happened before?"

Bella tapped her bottom lip with her index finger as she thought. "I remember, during my transformation, I heard your voice." Edward raised an eyebrow, but Bella ignored him and went on. "You told me not to give up, that you were coming."

_I'm coming Bella, _she could still hear him so vividly. _Don't give up darling, I'm on my way._

Edward stared at her. "You heard me?" He sat down on the bed, next to Bella's duffel. "At the time, I thought that you might have assumed that I had stopped looking for you. I wanted to talk to you, to tell you not to give up." He shook his head in disbelief, willing all the terrible memories away. "It may sound strange, but I think that I was actually _trying_ to send my thoughts to you, as if I could will my thoughts to your ear."

Bella blinked. "So it's not that we were reading each other's minds." She tried to put her thoughts together. "You were sending your thoughts to me, and I to you? What am I, telepathic?"

Edward nodded. "Actually," he replied. "I think that's it. It looks like you have complete control of your mind. Meaning you can send your thoughts to others, and if you truly want to, you can open your mind to another, and let them send thoughts to you in return."

"Alright," Bella nodded. "In that case, I won't be needing a refund. This might come in handy."

Edward only grinned.

"But for the record," Bella touched his shoulder. "I always knew that you would come for me. I knew that you wouldn't abandon me."

Edward frowned, guilt washing over him. _But I did. _He thought, too ashamed to use his voice. Thank God that Alice and Rosalie had found him before it was too late.

Bella looked at him with sad eyes. "What?" she asked. She moved her bag over so she could sit next to Edward. "What do you mean, you did?"

"Alice stopped seeing you in visions," he replied. "She told me that she saw you dead, and then she didn't see anything else after that. She told me that we were too late."

Bella's hand fell to Edward's knee. "That was Laurent's doing," she said. "That was before he decided to help me. When he did, he removed the block and let Alice see him biting me."

"I know that now," Edward nodded. "But there was quite some time in between Alice seeing you dead, and her seeing you again."

"What did you do?" Bella's fear for him showed through her voice. He had done something bad, she could tell. But what could he have done?

Edward sighed. "I wouldn't give up," he explained. "Alice saw you in a warehouse, so I broke into every single abandoned building in Port Angeles. But Alice stopped me. She told me that I had to let you go. I didn't want to. I wouldn't believe that you were gone."

"I'm sorry you had to be put through that," Bella frowned. The ache was written all over Edward's face. She could see all the pain he felt, all the hurt and anguish. "If Laurent and I had seen another way, if I had seen what I was doing to you . . . ,"

"Don't," Edward stopped her. "Don't blame yourself. You did the only thing to save yourself, to save us. I'm the one who should be ashamed."

"Ashamed?" She cocked her head to the side. "Why on earth would you be ashamed?"

Edward looked away. "Eventually, I listened to Alice," he replied. "I honestly believed that you had died, that I was too late. I _did _give up on you, Bella. I can't even begin to describe how sorry I am."

"Edward, you had no reason to believe that Alice was wrong," she said, "You shouldn't be ashamed of believing your sister. It's not your fault, or even hers for that matter!"

"I know," he said. "I'm only glad that . . . ."

Edward was going to say something more, until the sound of creaking floorboards reached his sensitive ears. Someone was coming up the stairs. Edward was glad for the distraction however, when he realized how he would upset Bella if he opened up about his contingency plans.

He turned to see if Bella had heard the footsteps, and obviously she had heard it too, because in an instant she was on her feet and headed to the window, her bag over her shoulder.

"We'll finish this on the way," she said. "We need to go see your family first, but then we can head off."

With that, she leapt from the window and landed gracefully on her feet. Edward landed immediately afterwards and, hand in hand, they dashed toward the Cullen's mansion to say their goodbyes.

- - - - - - - -

"Call us as soon as you're settled," Esme said, giving both of her "children" a hug goodbye. "And I want to hear all about this gift once you've figured it all out."

Bella smiled. "Of course," she replied. "I'll make sure that the phone is the first thing we take care of when we get to Denali."

"Drive safely," Carlisle warned, giving Edward a stern look. Bella was sure they were having a silent conversation, and she looked away.

"We'll miss you!" Alice chirped, giving her new sister a huge hug. "You must call me as soon as you can. I want to know _all _about the new house."

Edward laughed. "Sure Alice," he said, rolling his eyes. "Although I'm sure you've already seen it, haven't you?"

"Yes." Alice smiled sheepishly. "But I want to know how Bella likes it."

Bella giggled. "Yes, but I'm sure you've seen that as well, haven't you?" She smirked, and Alice looked away.

"You guys _are _meant for each other," she pouted, muttering something under her breath about 'ganging up on Alice day.'

Edward grinned and wound an arm around Bella's waist, ignoring Alice's moping. "Yeah," he agreed, referring to Alice's first comment. "I think we are, too." Bella smiled a little and looked away. She was sure that she would have blushed, had she been able to.

"Alright, alright," Emmett said, stepping forward. "Save the mushy stuff for the bedroom. None of us need to see that."

Bella was extremely relieved that she could no longer blush. Instead of turning into a tomato, she stepped away from Edward to embrace his brother. Of course, Emmett gave her a huge bear hug, even spinning her in a circle. When he placed Bella back on her feet, he winked at her.

"Bye Bells," he said, "Keep an eye on my brother, alright? He's bound to find some trouble out there."

Bella grinned. "I'll do my best," she said

Rosalie stood forward beside her husband. "Good luck Bella," she said playfully. "This one's a little difficult to live with."

"I think I can manage," Bella joked back, a genuine smile forming at her lips. She didn't miss the grin that Edward sent his sister, obviously glad that she had finally accepted his soon-to-be fiancé, or eventually-will-be fiancé, whatever the case may have been.

Jasper stepped forward last. While Rosalie gave her brother a quick hug, Jasper smiled and gave Bella one too, for the second time since she had come back.

"We'll see you guys soon," he said. "Keep in touch in the meantime. A visit or two wouldn't be so bad," he smiled again.

"We'll call as soon as we can," Edward promised.

Bella turned around to open the door, and Edward gave Alice a tight hug. Bella smiled as she watched the exchange, not hearing Alice whisper, "be patient," in Edward's ear.

Edward grabbed Bella's hand, and led her to the car. His family stood at the doorstep and watched as he revved the engine, and pulled away from his old home.

_It's time to draw the line  
Cross the borders  
And cross the signs  
We live the lives to save ourselves_

**Runaway – My American Heart**


	16. Epilogue: A New Beginning

kay guys. it's offically over. from now on, i'll be reading and reviewing as Simply Kiwi.

kiwi - out

**Epilogue: A New Beginning**

**Six Months Later . . .**

"Come on Bella," the familiar velvet voice cooed, "It's time to go now."

The beautiful female responded with a groan, and she snuggled deeper into Edward's marble chest. "I don't wanna," she whined, sounding much like a small child. She didn't want to move from her position, snuggled close to Edward, watching the snow fall and talking about nothing.

A smile crept across the elder one's lips, revealing his unnaturally sharp teeth. He chuckled as he cradled Bella's smaller frame to his, lifting her, and himself, from the snow. "Fine then," he said, smirking triumphantly. "I'll carry you home, if I must."

"Alright, alright, I'll go inside," Bella moaned, opening her eyes "But put me down. I'll walk on my own, thank you very much." She kicked her legs in an attempt to pry herself loose.

Edward grinned widely and continued to walk, ignoring the girl's plea to release her. "No, it's quite alright." He snickered. "I like this arrangement better, actually." Of _course_ he did. He loved holding Bella in his arms, and he chose to do so whenever possible.

"Ed-warrd," Bella sighed, although the urge to laugh was nearly impossible to ignore. "If you're going to force me to go inside, you might as well allow me to do so, on my own accord."

Edward laughed as he climbed up the porch steps, and on to the welcome rug. "There's no use fighting me anyhow, we're home now." He placed Bella on her feet, and swung open the door. Their mountain-side cabin was as lovely as ever, and the two eagerly stepped inside the inviting foyer.

Bella's boots made a soft 'clack' sound as they made contact with the hardwood with every step. She made her way to the fireplace, where she slid off her shoes nearby the wall, as she did every afternoon, or whenever she came inside from the snow.

Edward watched her, a peaceful smile across his face, as she added wood to the already crackling fire, sending a new set of flames up the chimney. Bella turned around, expecting to see her boyfriend pulling off his boots, but instead saw Edward watching her, that gorgeous smile on his face.

"What?" She asked, tilting her head to one side.

He shook his head, but the smile remained in place. "Nothing," he said. "I just love you, that's all."

Bella smiled too, and walked over to wrap her arms around his neck. "I love you too." Softly, she kissed his lips, and then pulled away.

Edward looked like he might have said something more, but Bella spoke first. "Come on," she said. "Take off your boots and come sit with me. The family should be here any minute now, and I want to talk to you before all the chaos begins."

While Edward did as he was told, Bella sat sinuously on the carpet in front of the blazing fire. A moment later, Edward was half-sitting beside her, propped up on his right arm. His free hand instantly went out to her, and she placed her hand in his automatically.

"What's wrong, Bella?" The male asked. He could see it in her face, in her eyes, that she was nervous about something. At that moment, he truly wished that her power did allow him to read her mind at will, for he was actually worried about what she had to say to him.

"Wrong?" She asked. "Nothing. Just . . . give me a moment, please." She had to do this right. She didn't want to turn it into a huge ordeal, but she didn't want it sound completely spur of the moment, either. She just had to find the proper wording . . .

Edward waited patiently, watching her copper eyes go from calculating, to calm. He had been noticing her eyes lately. Since she had been feeding off animal blood, her eyes were beginning to change to the liquid butterscotch. Since it had only been a half a year, however, they had become a new version of her human eyes; red-tinted chocolate, with a hint of ocher.

"I love you, you know that," Bella started with the obvious, snapping Edward from his thoughts. "I love you more than I have ever loved anyone else before and," she chuckled, speaking completely casually now, "well, technically I never loved anyone else before you, but I'm sure you know what I mean."

Edward smiled. "I do."

"Well, I've been thinking lately, and I think it's about time that I, you know, settled down," she said. "There's no use dancing around it, it's bound to happen anyway. If I don't bring it up, you're going to have to again, so I'm just going to say it." She allowed herself to smile, momentarily free from her casual façade. "Will you marry me, Edward?"

"Are you seriously asking that question?" Edward blinked. "Do you honestly not know the answer to that?"

Bella raised her eyebrows. "So, that's a yes?"

Edward sat up quickly and pulled Bella into his arms. She wound her arms around his neck, just as his arms went around her waist. A multitude of emotions hit him in an instant; happiness, relief, complete bliss, but most of all, love. _Finally _they were going to be married!

He kissed her then, and Bella pulled herself closer, only pausing to pull Edward's t-shirt over his head. Her hands moved up his sculpted chest, just as her back began to feel the heat from the fire behind her as Edward began to lift her top.

That was about the time they heard: "Whoops."

The lovers turned their heads to see a very staggered Rosalie in the doorway. She looked away, and Bella was glad that she wasn't the only one in the room that felt as if they should be blushing. A guffawing Emmett walked in behind her and the rest of the family came up in turn, an annoyed Alice last.

Edward quickly scrambled to put his shirt back on, and Bella yanked hers down, as Edward was in the process of removing it just as Rosalie walked in.

"I told you not to go in there."

Jasper snickered. "Sorry guys," he said. "Alice tried to warn us, but Rosalie must not have heard her warning." He smirked. "I see you two have made yourself at home."

Bella looked away, and Edward pursed his lips to hide his chuckle. He looked up at Alice and said, "So, you saw this?"

"Hey, wait a second," Emmett said. "Why the hell are you getting visions of Bella and Edward shacking up? Don't you usually see more," he searched for the word, "_pressing_ matters?"

Alice covered her mouth with her hand to conceal her laughter. "No, Emmett," she said. "This isn't what I saw. I saw what happened _before _this, and I _assumed_ that Edward and Bella would be . . . _busy_, when we arrived."

Emmett looked confused. As a matter of fact, everyone, except for the four vampires that knew of the engagement, seemed lost. And yes, I _did_ say four.

Deep down, Esme knew. She could tell by the happiness that seemed to glow off of both of the lovers. Mother's instinct, I suppose you could say. She kept quiet though, sending the two a knowing smile instead.

"Wait," Rosalie said. "What happened?"

Bella smiled. "Would you like to tell them, or should I?" She asked, enjoying the confusion of her family members, just a bit. She loved being on this end of the surprises.

"Bella and I are engaged."

A chorus of gasps filled the room, followed by Emmett yanking Edward off of the floor and enveloping him in a huge hug.

"It's about time, bro," he said, grinning.

Alice snickered. "Actually," she corrected. "Edward asked Bella before they left town."

Bella looked down.

"And you're just telling us now?" Jasper looked shocked.

Bella made a face, and Edward was at her side, wrapping an arm around her waist immediately. _Don't feel bad, _he told her mentally. _You weren't ready._

"Not exactly," Bella frowned. "I turned him down the first time." Again she made the ashamed face.

"What?" Rosalie was positively stunned. "You said no?"

Bella looked away again; apparently that was her new form of blushing. Edward stroked her hair, and kissed the top of her head. "She wasn't ready," Edward explained. "She didn't really say no. She just told me that she couldn't yet. She wasn't ready to get married, and I accepted that."

"Oh," Rosalie said, relieved. "Well, that's different."

Carlisle nodded. "No, that's perfectly understandable," he said, smiling warmly at the couple. "She had gone through a huge transformation. She had to leave almost everything she loved behind. She needed a little time to adjust."

_She adjusted alright, _Emmett thought, resisting the urge to snicker. Edward glared at him, and he smiled apologetically. _Relax bro, I was only kidding._

Edward only sighed in response.

"So, what changed your mind?" Jasper asked, curious. He felt Edward's tension, and Emmett's remorse, so he had a good idea of what had happened. He figured a change of subject would be in order.

Bella shrugged. "I grew up," she replied, and Edward held her tightly, kissing her hair again. She smiled and said, "I figured it was time that I brought up the subject again."

Emmett chuckled. "So wait," he said, grinning. "_You_ proposed to _him_?"

"Technically," Bella smiled.

Emmett burst out laughing. "Good girl," he said between chuckles.

"Hey Emmett," Edward said, hiding a snarl. "I hear there's a whole bunch of grizzlies on the other side of the mountain. Why don't you go and track some down?"

Emmett grinned. "Good idea, Edward," he said. "Come on Rose. We haven't had bear in a long time."

_Bears? Edward, but it's winter . . . _Rosalie thought, prepared to object to her husband's request. But Edward raised his eyebrows at her, and she chuckled as she followed Emmett into the snow.

"Uh, Edward," Bella said, her eyebrows pulling together. "It's winter. All the bears around here are hibernating. Emmett is going to have a hard time finding one he can hunt, if it's not impossible."

Edward smirked. "I know."

"You're terrible!" Bella smacked his arm, but she couldn't hold down her laughter. A moment later, the rest of the family joined them, before Edward ushered them into the living room.

"So," Alice said, once they were settled. "When's the wedding?"

Bella, who was sitting next to Edward on the love seat, shrugged. "Alice, we just got engaged ten minutes ago," she said. "I don't think we've got to planning yet."

"Planning?" Alice scoffed. "Oh, please! That is my department, Bells. I'm going to make this huge. After all, you only get married once."

Jasper smirked. "Unless you're Rosalie."

"Alice," Bella said, trying to sound as if she had some authority. "I don't want a big wedding. I don't have very many people to invite, first of all." She almost frowned. "Besides, I've never wanted something big. I want to keep it simple." She glanced at her fiancé, "If that's alright with Edward, of course."

"If it makes you happy," Edward said, leaning down to kiss her forehead, "I'm all for it."

Alice made a face. "Ew!" she exclaimed. "Edward, stop being such a cornball."

"Did you just say _cornball_?" Bella said, holding her breath to keep herself from laughing. "I can't believe you just said that."

Jasper shook his head. "Bella, did you not hear what he just said?" He asked. "Admit it. That was so cliché."

Bella frowned. "I thought it was sweet."

"Sweet, yes," Even Esme had to pitch in. "But that was just about the corniest thing I believe anyone has said in my presence," she giggled. "Not even Carlisle is that bad."

Carlisle made a face. "Hey!"

Bella snickered. "You know," she said. "I love you guys."

No one got the chance to reply because Emmett came storming into the room, a chuckling Rosalie in tow. The blonde made eye contact with her newest sibling, and the two of them laughed quietly.

_Oops, _Bella thought to her sister. _Edward's busted._

_Yeah, _Rosalie grinned. _And Emmett figured it out all by himself, too. I'm so proud of him._

This, of course, sent the two of them into another fit of hysterics, and the rest of the family looked at them oddly, wondering what on earth they found so funny about Emmett tackling his older, and much smaller, brother to the ground.

The moment they realized what had happened, Bella shouted "Edward," and the exact time Rosalie scolded her husband as well.

The two fighting ignored them as Emmett proceeded to attempt to strangle his brother. Bella, not as used to the fighting, watched as she was completely horrified. The others just huffed and mumbled under their breath.

Eventually, Carlisle and Jasper had to pull the two apart. Edward plopped down next to his fiancé, rubbing his throat. Bella frowned as she moved closer to him to gently massage the back of his neck, sending Emmett a nasty glare as she did so.

"I'm alright," Edward said, kissing her lightly. "Emmett just gets a little cranky."

Rosalie had led her husband out of the room to 'have a chat.' Bella sighed. Oh yeah, they'd _chat _alright. She was surprised at how upset she was with Emmett for fighting with Edward. She knew it happened constantly. Why did it suddenly bother her?

Bella rolled her eyes. "Do you guys have to attempt to kill each other on a daily basis?"

"Emmett started it." Edward folded his arms over his chest.

Bella scoffed and hugged her knees to her chest. She had managed to avoid Edward by striking up a completely random conversation with Alice, but only moments later, she was stopped mid-sentence by Edward saying, very convincingly, "I love you."

The female sighed and fell into Edward's chest. "I love you too," she said, resigned. This, she decided, was her completely messed up family. She was stuck with them for all eternity. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

**Fin**


	17. Final Author's Note

Hello everyone.

First of all, I'd like to say thank you to everyone for reviewing and encouraging me with this story. Your feedback is what gets me to keep updating. So, thank you.

Secondly, I have to thank Emilie, Inky and Kayleigh again, as well as Beky. They've helped me more then they know. I love you guys!

Okay. Now, let's get down to business.

Unfortunately, there will not be a sequel to Grim Goodbye. I say unfortunately because I really liked this story, and I actually kind of _want_ to do a sequel. But I really believe that the story is finished. I could come up with a new villain, and play around with the story a little more, but I'm pretty sure that it would ruin this one. So, I am officially done with this one.

And yes, I will be disappearing for a little while when it comes to writing. I will still be reading and reviewing my favorites, but from now on, I'll be under the penname Simply Kiwi. So, if you want to contact me in any way, make sure that is the penname you send the PM to, alright?

Don't forget to look for Transparency. It's my next story, and it was inspired, in part, by Emilie Whoa's The Possibility and the Promise, and the movies Just Like Heaven and The Invisible. You can find the preface already here on Fanfiction. :D

So, I guess that's about all I have to say.

Bye, bye, kiddies.


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